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The Brief

The most important stories for you to know today
  • 5 restaurants prove LA was wrong sleeping on it
    A plate of arnachas, enchiladas, taquitos, chuchito, chipilin tamale and maduros.
    An antojitos plate from Amalia’s Restaurant in Koreatown; this plate contains: garnachas, enchiladas, taquitos, chuchito, chipilin tamale and maduros.

    Topline:

    Across L.A., dishes like pepián, garnachas and tapado are moving from the margins to the mainstream. What was once hidden is now defining neighborhoods. These five restaurants capture that shift.

    Why it matters: Los Angeles County is now home to the largest population of Guatemalans outside of Guatemala, with more than 280,000 residents as of 2025 — a roughly 35% increase over the past decade. As the community has grown, so has the visibility of its food, even as many Central American immigrants face increased immigration enforcement and political pressure.

    Puchica Guatemalan Bar & Grill: Walk into Puchica and you’ll likely spot a wall of photographs — Lake Atitlán, Antigua, Tikal. There might be live Chapin music filling the room. There will definitely be some of the best Guatemalan food in L.A.

    Read on... for more Guatemalan restaurants in L.A.

    This story first appeared on The LA Local.

    Four years ago, Adan Matul was selling a Guatemalan sweet bread called pan de Xela, out of a street cart in the San Fernando Valley. Now, Matul and his family run El Sabor Auténtico de Xela, a Guatemalan restaurant and bakery in Chatsworth.

    Matul opened the restaurant in February with his partner, Yolanda Barrios, and her daughters, Hellen Rodas and Selena Barrios. The family works together every day to bring dishes and pastries from their ancestral home of Quetzaltenango.

    “Everything we serve here is a reflection of our roots — the dishes our parents cooked, what we snacked on, the bread we had with our coffee,” Matul told The LA Local. “We want our bread and dishes to evoke memories of home, the warmth that we felt eating our mothers’ food.” 

    A basket of baked bread sitting on a table.
    A basket of Guatemalan breads from El Sabor Auténtico de Xela.
    (
    Andrea G. Mendez Ochoa
    /
    The LA Local
    )

    The demand that led to El Sabor Auténtico de Xela opening its doors reflects a broader shift in L.A. Los Angeles County is now home to the largest population of Guatemalans outside of Guatemala, with more than 280,000 residents as of 2025 — a roughly 35% increase over the past decade. As the community has grown, so has the visibility of its food, even as many Central American immigrants face increased immigration enforcement and political pressure.

    “We’re living in a time where so much systemic harm has been done to our people,” Rodas said between greeting customers at the restaurant. “We’re told we need to assimilate to thrive in this country, and that mindset took so much of my cultural identity when I was a child. Part of my healing has happened through working here.”

    Growing up Guatemalan American in Los Angeles, I know that feeling. For years, food from our homeland was hard to find — even in one of the most diverse food cities in the world.

    That’s no longer the case.

    Across L.A., dishes like pepián, garnachas and tapado are moving from the margins to the mainstream. What was once hidden is now defining neighborhoods.

    These five restaurants capture that shift.

    No. 5 Puchica Guatemalan Bar & Grill

    A white broth in a bowl next to a plate with some rice and salad.
    Tapado, a Garifuna recipe popular among the Guatemalan community residing in the Caribbean coast, served with rice and a Mojarra Frita.
    (
    Andrea G. Mendez Ochoa
    /
    The LA Local
    )

    Walk into Puchica and you’ll likely spot a wall of photographs — Lake Atitlán, Antigua, Tikal. There might be live Chapin music filling the room. There will definitely be some of the best Guatemalan food in L.A.

    Owner Ronan Lurssen, a native of Suchitepéquez, and his wife, Taryn, have made it their mission to bring regional Guatemalan cooking to Los Angeles — and that means going beyond the usual menu.

    Puchica is one of the few restaurants in the area serving tapado, a coconut-based seafood stew from Guatemala’s Caribbean coast. The dish traces back to Garifuna communities — Afro-Indigenous people whose roots come from West African survivors of shipwreck and the Indigenous Kalinago and Arawak people. 

    The tapado here delivers on that lineage. The broth is rich and creamy, the seafood layered with deep umami flavor. It arrives with rice and mojarra frita — a whole fish, scored, garlic-lime marinated and fried until the skin shatters and the meat pulls clean. The plate comes with tortillas to make fish tacos that you should definitely dip into the broth. It’s a dish that demands you slow down and find comfort in the experience of finishing everything on the plate.

    San Fernando Valley
    4523 Sepulveda Blvd., Sherman Oaks 

    No. 4 Mi Cocinita Chapina

    A dish with beans, a stew with meat and veggies, next to rice and a salad. Other dishes are on the table as well.
    Carne Guisada from Mi Cocinita Chapina served with a salad, rice, and mash beans. The Guatemalan dish on the left corner is called Hilachas, a shredded beef stew.
    (
    Andrea G. Mendez Ochoa
    /
    The LA Local
    )

    Mi Cocinita is a little hole in the wall that serves some of the best traditional Guatemalan dishes in the area. Nestled on the corner of Malvern Avenue and Venice Boulevard, it is known for its authentic Guatemalan breakfasts. 

    Put some pep in your step with Mi Cocinita’s desayuno tipico — eggs, savory mashed black beans, fried plantains, queso fresco and your choice of chorizo or puyaso steak, a cut of sirloin with a thick layer of fat. 

    You can also start your day here with carne guisada, a savory stew featuring beef simmered in a thick, rich gravy and potatoes. 

    Pico Union 
    1325 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles

    No. 3 Amalia’s Restaurant

    A borth with seafood in it. A side of rice and tortiallas next to another plate of grilled meats and rice.
    Sopa de Mariscos served with rice and the Plato Amalia’s with rice and homemade tortillas.
    (
    Andrea G. Mendez Ochoa
    /
    The LA Local
    )

    Amalia’s Restaurant is a rarity in L.A. — a Guatemalan spot that’s been holding it down since 1994. Long before the current wave of regional Central American cooking, Amalia’s was serving Koreatown’s Guatemalan community, quietly becoming a neighborhood staple.

    The sopa de mariscos is the move here. Built on a deeply seasoned tomato broth, the soup is loaded with fish, shrimp, crab and mussels, simmered down into something rich and restorative. It’s the kind of dish that hits immediately — briny, citrusy, just enough lime to cut through the depth.

    If you’re hungover, it’ll fix you. If you’re not, it’ll still feel like it did.

    Koreatown 
    4210 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles

    No. 2 Shucos LA

    A plate with beans, rice, a salad, grilled meats and chips.
    Shucos’s churrasco plate offered a variety of assorted meats served with a Russian salad, rice, beans and homemade guacamole. The bistec encebollado at the top with Agua de Jamaica.
    (
    Andrea G. Mendez Ochoa
    /
    The LA Local
    )

    Shucos started as a backyard setup near Jefferson Boulevard and 41st Street in 2020. Within a few years, it grew into a storefront in Commerce, fueled in part by a steady rise on TikTok, where staff showcased their Guatemalan-style hot dogs to a wider audience.

    Those hot dogs — known as shucos — are a staple of Guatemala’s street food scene. Built on a toasted bun, they’re loaded with grilled meats, guacamole, cabbage, grilled onions and the classic trio of ketchup, mayo and mustard. Messy, smoky and fully loaded, they eat more like a full meal than a snack.

    But the menu goes deeper. Shucos also serves a range of traditional dishes, including bistec encebollado, salpicón de res, pollo en crema and churrasco.

    The churrasco features meats that are tender with a strong char, the seasoning pulling everything together without overpowering it. On the side, garnachas — crisp, saucy and so delicious, they were consumed in a matter of minutes. 

    South LA
    753 E. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles
    (closed on Mondays, cash only) 

    Southeast LA
    2470 S. Atlantic Blvd., Commerce

    No. 1 El Sabor Auténtico de Xela

    A sandwich on a foil wrapper next to snacks and plates with food on them.
    A shuco mixto from El Sabor Auténtico de Xela. A shuco is a street food staple from Guatemala that combines multiple meats in a single toasted bun. Above left is carne adobada and above right is Pepián.
    (
    Andrea G. Mendez Ochoa
    /
    The LA Local
    )

    A true one-stop shop for Guatemalan food, El Sabor Auténtico de Xela earns the top spot on this list. The restaurant and bakery showcases dishes from the Quetzaltenango region alongside a lineup of nostalgic snacks like Tortrix chips and Chiky cookies and sodas like Tiky.

    Matul often points first-timers to the Pepián, Guatemala’s national dish. The stew is rich and layered, rooted in both Mayan and Spanish traditions, with slow-cooked meats and vegetables in a thick sauce made from roasted tomatoes, tomatillos and toasted seeds. It’s served with rice and tortillas — simple on paper, deeply complex in flavor.

    Rodas recommends the caldo de res, a hearty beef soup packed with corn, cabbage, zucchini and potatoes. It’s the kind of dish that hits even on a 100-degree day.

    But the standout is the carne adobada. The meat is tender, deeply seasoned, with a subtle smokiness that lingers. It’s served with Russian salad and Guatemalan chow mein — a local adaptation shaped by Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century that has since become a staple of the cuisine.

    San Fernando Valley 
    21818 Devonshire St., Chatsworth

    Guatemalan food: a glossary

    Key terms from this guide, in order of appearance.

    Breads & snacks

    Pan de Xela (bread)

    A sweet bread from Quetzaltenango (nicknamed Xela), Guatemala’s second-largest city. A staple of Guatemalan bakeries, traditionally eaten alongside coffee.

    Tortrix (snack)

    Guatemala’s most beloved snack chip — a crunchy, corn-based curl that has become a national icon. A nostalgic staple for Guatemalan Americans far from home.

    Chiky cookies (snack)

    A popular Guatemalan sandwich cookie, similar in format to an Oreo but with a distinctly local flavor. A comfort food shorthand for Guatemalan childhood.

    Breakfast

    Desayuno típico (breakfast)

    The classic Guatemalan breakfast plate: eggs, savory mashed black beans, fried plantains, and queso fresco, with a choice of chorizo or puyaso steak.

    Puyaso (meat)

    A cut of sirloin with a thick layer of fat, common in Guatemalan breakfast plates. Grilled or pan-fried, it’s prized for its richness and char.

    Carne guisada (stew)

    Beef simmered in a thick, rich gravy with potatoes — a hearty stew served at breakfast or as a main dish. A comforting staple across Central American home cooking.

    Soups & stews

    Tapado (seafood stew)

    A rich, coconut-based seafood stew from Guatemala’s Caribbean coast, rooted in Garifuna culinary tradition. The Garifuna are an Afro-Indigenous people descended from West African shipwreck survivors and the Indigenous Kalinago and Arawak. Served with rice and whole fried fish.

    Pepián (national dish)

    Guatemala’s national dish — a slow-cooked meat and vegetable stew in a thick sauce of roasted tomatoes, tomatillos, and toasted seeds. Rooted in both Mayan and Spanish culinary traditions. Served with rice and tortillas.

    Sopa de mariscos (seafood soup)

    A deeply seasoned tomato-based soup loaded with fish, shrimp, crab, and mussels. Briny, citrusy, and restorative — the signature dish at Amalia’s.

    Caldo de res (beef soup)

    A hearty beef soup packed with corn, cabbage, zucchini, and potatoes. A restorative Guatemalan staple — the kind of dish that works in any season.

    Mains

    Mojarra frita (seafood)

    A whole fish — scored, marinated in garlic and lime, and fried until the skin shatters and the meat pulls clean. Often served alongside tapado with tortillas for dipping into the broth.

    Carne adobada (meat)

    Meat marinated and slow-cooked in a seasoned adobo sauce until deeply tender, with a subtle smokiness. At El Sabor Auténtico de Xela, it’s served with Russian salad and Guatemalan chow mein.

    Ensalada rusa (side dish)

    Literally “Russian salad” — diced potatoes, carrots, and peas bound in mayonnaise, brought to Guatemala through European influence and now fully adopted into the local table. A common accompaniment to grilled and adobo-style meats.

    Churrasco (grilled meat)

    Grilled beef with a strong char and deep seasoning — a staple of Guatemalan grills. At Shucos LA, it arrives tender with seasoning that pulls everything together without overpowering.

    Bistec encebollado (meat)

    Thin-cut steak smothered in grilled onions — a simple, satisfying classic found across Guatemalan and Central American menus.

    Salpicón de res (meat)

    Shredded or finely chopped beef salad dressed with lime, mint, and radish. Bright and refreshing, it’s a common fixture on Guatemalan menus.

    Pollo en crema (chicken)

    Chicken braised in a rich cream sauce, often with peppers and onions. A mild, comforting Guatemalan staple.

    Guatemalan chow mein (noodles)

    A local adaptation of Chinese chow mein, shaped by Chinese immigrant communities in Guatemala in the late 19th century. It has since been fully absorbed into the national cuisine and commonly appears as a side dish.

    Street food

    Shucos (street food)

    Guatemala’s signature street hot dog — a toasted bun loaded with grilled meats, guacamole, cabbage, grilled onions, and the classic trio of ketchup, mayo, and mustard. Messy, smoky, and substantial enough to eat as a full meal.

    Garnachas (street food)

    Crisp fried tortillas topped with a savory sauce — a beloved Guatemalan street snack. At Shucos LA, they arrive alongside the churrasco and disappear quickly.

  • Remembering SoCal stations and personalities
    A vintage black and white photo of an office building.
    A 1938 photo of KNX's studios.

    Topline:

    With KNX's shift last month back to AM radio only, we asked Southern Californians to share their memories of listening to the radio.

    Why now: Back in April, broadcast company Audacy announced it was moving KNX News — one of the last-remaining all-news FM stations — off 97.1 FM, but keeping the long-running news format on 1070 AM where it's been for more than 100 years. The move officially happened in May to make way for a new sports talk station.

    A radio time capsule: AirTalk, LAist's flagship daily news show which airs on 89.3 FM, asked listeners to share their favorite memories of listening to the radio.

    Continue reading... for vintage photos from The Los Angeles Public Library's digital archive collections highlighting Southern California's rich radio history.

    Southern California was built on radio.

    "I can still hear the jingle KFWB News 98,” wrote  Taline in Los Feliz, during a recent conversation on LAist's daily news show, AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM. “I grew up hearing that in my dad's minivan on the way to and from school. It has a special place in my heart.”

    Back in April, broadcast company Audacy announced KNX News — one of the last-remaining all-news FM stations — was leaving the FM dial where it had simulcast on 97.1 FM since 2021. The station, which is also one of the oldest in L.A., is not budging from 1070 AM where it has been on the air for more than 100 years. The move away from FM officially happened in May to make way for a new sports talk station, which Audacy officials called an area of growth for advertisers in today’s media landscape.

    The move is one in a long line of changes for radio and a reminder that before podcasts, playlists and algorithms, many Southern Californians built their days around radio broadcasts.

    Radio, a daily ritual

    Larry Mantle, now in his 41st year hosting AirTalk, remembers being a kid and dreaming of what it might be like to be behind the mic at one of these radio stations.

    “ I grew up with KNX," he said. “My dream job as a kid was to be an anchor on KNX or KFWB, the two local all-news radio stations, 'cause there was nothing like hosting AirTalk that even existed at that point.”

    Mantle opened up the phone lines on a recent show to hear from his fellow SoCal radio lovers about the shows they miss and the memories they have. Here's what they had to say:

    A love for radio, then and now  

    “When you'd walk down Hollywood Boulevard where the station was, you could hear it playing as you went down the street,” said  Olivia in Glendale about KLAC 570 with Al Jarvis.

     Larry in Yorba Linda shouted out KBCA Jazz for its 24-hour jazz, saying “When I first moved out here in '68 from Phoenix, which had like an hour a week, it was a real wonder.”

     Mark in Glassell Park emailed that he loves KCRW’s Henry Rollins, writing, “I used to bristle at his unique DJ persona, but over time, I came to love him and his crazy eclectic playlists. I find his knowledge in history and punk rock fascinating. He's a gem and a legend."

    "I'd like to give a shout-out to all the DJs working at KXLU, the college station at Loyola Marymount University, said  Jeremy in Culver City in an email. “That station's been on the air for nearly 60 years. I believe it's one of the best examples of what's possible with radio."

    "KFWB and KRLA back in the day when they were rock music stations —  Dr. Demento, one of my favorite on-air personalities, also had eclectic music taste," said  Carrie in Desert Edge.

    “ Dr. Demento was must listening when I was a kid in junior high school at Le Conte Junior High in Hollywood,” Mantle added. “Every Sunday night on KMET, we would make sure we were listening to Dr. Demento and his funny records.”

    The question remains…

    A vintage black and white photo of a male-presenting child being handed the keys to a car (seen behind him). A radio station sign, KMPC, can be seen in the background.
    An 11-year-old winning a car in a KMPC contest in 1963.
    (
    Los Angeles Public Library
    )

    Listener support is vital to any radio station, and it’s clear KNX has many lifelong fans. AirTalk listeners highlighted their support for household KNX names over the decades like Bill Keene, Melinda Lee, Mike Roy and Jackie Olden.

    As KNX makes changes, many are watching closely and thinking about the future of radio.

    Listeners like Tommy in La Quinta are left wondering if the radio dial will be the same…

    Im a hardcore listener, but I don't know about casual listeners [and] if they'll tune to AM,” he said.

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  • LA has a delayed deal to recoup Olympics costs
    A man wearing glasses and a jacket that has a patch that reads "LA28". He leans in to speak to the woman on his left who is leaning in to hear him. They sit behind a desk that reads "Paris 2024."
    LA28 chair Casey Wasserman speaks with L.A. Mayor Karen Bass at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on August 10, 2024.

    Topline:

    After months of hand-wringing, Los Angeles and LA28 have come to a tentative agreement on how Olympics organizers will reimburse the city for its expenses for the 2028 Summer Games.

    What's in the deal? The private Olympic organizing committee will pay upfront for the estimated cost of services that are not eligible for federal reimbursement, like trash pick-up and traffic control. Under another proposal, the city would also be able to tap an LA28 contingency fund if it isn't fully repaid by the federal government for policing costs at Olympic venues.

    What happens now: The agreement is nearly nine months overdue and still needs approval by Mayor Karen Bass and the city council. The City Council's ad-hoc committee on the 2028 Games will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on the agreement.

    Concerns remain: The contract between the two parties doesn't fully resolve one of the biggest areas of financial risk for the city: the enormous cost of security for an event as extensive and high-profile as the summer Olympics and Paralympics.

    Read on...for more on concerns over security costs for 2028.

    After months of hand-wringing, Los Angeles and LA28 have come to a tentative agreement on how Olympics organizers will reimburse the city for its expenses for the 2028 Summer Games.

    According to the deal, the private Olympic organizing committee will pay upfront for the estimated cost of services that are not eligible for federal reimbursement, like trash pick-up and traffic control. Under another proposal, the city would also be able to tap an LA28 contingency fund if it isn't fully repaid by the federal government for policing costs at Olympic venues.

    The agreement is nearly nine months overdue and still needs approval by Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council.

    The 2028 Olympics are intended to be privately financed, and an existing city agreement with LA28 states that the Olympics organizers, not L.A., will pay for extra costs for public services in support of the Games. But L.A. is the financial back-stop for the Olympics, meaning if LA28 goes in the red, taxpayers will pick up the bill.

    Beyond that, the city services agreement presents another area where L.A. could incur additional unexpected expenses for hosting the Games. L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez warned LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover earlier this year that a bad deal could "bankrupt" the city.

    Jacie Prieto Lopez, an LA28 spokesperson, and Paul Krekorian, who leads the city's office of major events, said in statements that the freshly inked agreement would help deliver a fiscally responsible Games.

    "Mayor Bass’ priority is that the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games be fiscally responsible, protect taxpayers, and benefit Angelenos for decades to come. This agreement helps deliver that commitment," Krekorian said.

    But the contract between the two parties doesn't fully resolve one of the biggest areas of financial risk for the city: the enormous cost of security for an event as extensive and high-profile as the summer Olympics and Paralympics.

    Organizers are counting on the federal government to pay for public safety at Olympic venues that are considered part of a "national special security event." That includes costs for LAPD staffing. LA28 has not included security costs in its $7.1 billion budget — a fact that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto criticized earlier this year.

    The federal government has so far allocated $1 billion for security costs for the Olympics. Exactly where those federal funds will go has not yet been determined, and there's no guarantee they will cover all of L.A.'s policing costs.

    To address this, city officials have also proposed an amendment to a 2021 agreement between the city and LA28. That amendment would establish that if L.A. is not reimbursed by the federal government for all its eligible expenses, it could dip into LA28's contingency fund of $270 million before the private organizing committee could use those funds for any legacy projects.

    But that bucket of money will first be used for any costs that Olympics organizers still owe if they run out of revenue — meaning if the Olympics don't turn a profit, the city's access to that money will depend on how much is left for the taking.

    Civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who has been tracking the city's negotiations with LA28, told LAist the agreement was a "PR document" not a deal. She pointed out that if the federal government does not pay up for security spending as expected, L.A. could be in trouble.

    " It leaves the taxpayers with a GoFundMe strategy," she said.

    The city services agreement lays the groundwork for more negotiations between LA28 and the city. Each venue will require its own agreement, to be negotiated by July 1, 2027. Venues in the city of L.A. include Dodger Stadium, the L.A. Convention Center, L.A. Memorial Coliseum and the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

    The City Council's ad-hoc committee on the 2028 Games will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on the agreement.

  • Bass signs orders to boost Boyle Heights recovery
    A black and white SUV police car is parked in the middle of a street behind yellow police tape. Several red fire trucks are also parked in the street and thick black smoke is pictured in the distance.
    Cleanup is underway now at the Boyle Heights food storage warehouse that spewed smoke around L.A. earlier this month.

    Topline:

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a pair of executive orders Monday to ramp up efforts to clean the mess left by the fire that burned for a week at a Boyle Heights warehouse.

    Why now: Since the warehouse fire was put out, the 85 million pounds of frozen food stored inside is now rotting, spreading foul smells throughout surrounding neighborhoods and raising concerns about an influx of pests. Residents have also been left with worries about air and water contamination after the fire and possible long-term public health effects.

    Spoiled food removal: Bass and city officials said Monday the warehouse owner, Lineage, began moving food debris on Sunday to landfills in Ventura and Riverside counties. The company predicts it will take 5,000 truckloads to remove it all.

    Reducing odors: Lineage plans to apply a chemical deodorizer, likely chlorine dioxide, to the food, debris and trucks leaving the warehouse. It’s also installing devices within the warehouse that will spray mist over the food inside until it is moved.

    Pest control: Lineage is responsible for pest management inside the warehouse, while the city of Los Angeles is responsible for it outside the warehouse. Both have hired private contractors to manage pest control.

    Air and water testing: The South Coast Air Quality Management District is overseeing efforts to measure harmful material in the air and posting data to its online air quality map. Lineage also hired private contractor Onterris to monitor air quality in the community surrounding the warehouse, with South Coast AQMD’s oversight. The Los Angeles Department of Sanitation has been monitoring water flowing from the site since firefighting operations began. It’s using a variety of methods, including containment tanks and catch basins, to divert the runoff into the sewer and prevent it from flowing into the L.A. River.

    What’s next: Bass’ two executive orders are intended to accelerate cleanup efforts, protect residents and hold accountable the companies responsible for the facility and its safety. One order directs the Fire Department to report on its investigation into the cause of the fire within 90 days. The orders also include a number of provisions to help Boyle Heights residents and businesses, including free public transit, financial assistance and expanded public health resources.

    Why it matters: Officials and advocates have called for transparency around the cleanup, especially because they say the neighborhood has been historically under-resourced and disproportionately subjected to environmental burdens. One of the orders signed Monday directs city officials to compile a report within 45 days on industrial areas across Los Angeles that sit close to homes and schools. The report also must include possible zoning and land use changes that would reduce negative health effects from existing and future industrial facilities.

  • Lawsuit filed over frozen federal funding
    Tents on a sidewalk in front of a downtown skyline
    Tents in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles on June 11, 2026.

    Topline:

    L.A.’s lead homelessness agency, LAHSA, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Monday, asking a judge for relief from a federal funding suspension it calls unjustified.

    How we got here: On June 11, HUD suspended the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority from federal grant activity pending an investigation into alleged mismanagement. The federal agency said the suspension means LAHSA cannot fulfill its role as collaborative applicant for the entire region’s application for federal homelessness dollars for the upcoming fiscal year. In its lawsuit, LAHSA says the suspension is the Trump administration’s back door attempt to eliminate the Continuum of Care program in L.A., which gives local officials discretion over homelessness projects submitted for federal funding.

    LAHSA’s challenge: LAHSA says HUD has failed to identify any public agreement or transaction that LAHSA has violated or cite proper evidence of mismanagement. LAHSA also claims several inaccuracies and misrepresentations in HUD’s original suspension letter, including relying on reviews that LAHSA says were irrelevant to federal funding. “HUD supports its position with an amalgamation of uncorroborated hearsay information apparently cherry-picked from the internet,” the complaint states.

    Legal argument: LAHSA's attorneys contend that HUD unlawfully suspended funding, arguing that the action violates the Administrative Procedure Act, the Constitution's separation of powers principle, and the Tenth Amendment. LAHSA is asking for a stay of the HUD suspension pending judicial review and a permanent injunction barring head from suspending LAHSA or blocking the work of the Los Angeles Continuum of Care.

    Why it matters: The deadline for the L.A. region to submit its application to HUD for regional homelessness grants is Aug. 26. LAHSA says the suspension jeopardizes $241 million in federal funding that supports more than 11,000 people across L.A. County. LAHSA says the HUD suspension could prevent the agency from other activities, including releasing the findings of its 2026 homeless count conducted in January.