Since joining the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s governing commission nearly two years ago, Justin Szlasa has pushed — often uphill — for stronger auditing, transparency and oversight of the troubled agency. Last week, an appointee of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass succeeded in removing him as LAHSA’s audit chair, without explanation.
Sidelined: LAist asked Stephanie Graves why she recommended removing Szlasa as audit chair. She said it was her “prerogative” as chair of LAHSA’s full governing commission, which approved her recommendations. She has not explained her reasoning.
No answers: Neither the Mayor’s Office nor Graves have answered whether Bass directed Szlasa’s removal or discussed it with Graves before she made her recommendation.
‘Ongoing cover-up’: Rick Cole, a former top deputy in the L.A. City Controller’s office and advisor to Nithya Raman's mayoral campaign, said the move is “continuing the ongoing cover-up of dysfunction” at LAHSA. LAist reached out to both Bass and Graves for reaction to Cole’s comments, but has not received a response.
Since joining the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s governing commission nearly two years ago, Justin Szlasa has pushed — often uphill — for stronger auditing, transparency and oversight of the troubled agency.
He organized a day-long summit focused on how L.A. could shift its funding of homeless services so that contractors are paid for positive results. And for the past year he served as chair of LAHSA’s audit committee, where he pushed for more independence for internal auditors and pressed LAHSA to finish a years-long audit into its failure to spend $7 million in federal grants.
Last week, Szlasa was removed as chair of the three-member committee, without explanation. The move has generated criticism at a time when LAHSA remains under strict scrutiny — and the threat of losing federal and city funding— just two months before the general election.
“Justin has been the lifeline for any viable future for LAHSA,” said Rick Cole, a former top deputy in the L.A. City Controller’s office, which audits city tax dollars. Cole now advises City Councilmember Nithya Raman's mayoral campaign in an unpaid role, he said.
“[Szlasa has] pushed for the kind of transparency and accountability that everyone has wanted from that agency for 30 years,” Cole added. “And the absence of it is what has led to its imminent downfall.”
Although he is no longer its chair, Szlasa remains a member of the three-person audit committee. Losing the position means he no longer has authority to decide when and whether proposals will be scheduled for discussion and action. Szlasa said the chair also takes the lead in overseeing LAHSA’s internal audit staff in between the monthly committee meetings.
In an interview, Szlasa said he asked to stay on as audit chair, and was denied without being given a reason.
“I’m disappointed,” he said. “ I really took a very athletic approach to my work as chair. If we did a good job on that committee, we would be stepping towards the transparency, the accountability, the operational excellence that LAHSA really needs and the citizens of Los Angeles really deserve — whether they're housed or unhoused.”
No explanation for the removal
Szlasa was removed from his post as audit chair at the request of Stephanie Graves, an appointee of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.
Graves is the new chair of LAHSA Commission, whose 10 members govern the agency. The audit committee is a subset of the larger commission, and its members are tasked with overseeing an annual federally-required audit, as well as internal audits meant to root out oversight problems.
Graves recommended Szlasa’s removal as audit chair last week as part of her request for new committee assignments. The full commission approved her recommendations Friday.
LAist asked Graves why she recommended removing Szlasa. She said it was her “prerogative” as chair of the full commission. She has not explained her reasoning.
“Szlasa continues to be on the Audit Committee and his insights are valuable,” Graves said in a text message.
Stephanie Graves, the newly-selected chair of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission, speaks at the press briefing for the 2026 homeless count results in Los Angeles on July 24, 2026.
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Nick Gerda/LAist
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A spokesperson for Bass echoed Graves’ response, saying the appointments in question “are determined by the LAHSA Commission Chair and subject to the confirmation of the full Commission.”
Neither the Mayor’s Office nor Graves have answered whether Bass directed Szlasa’s removal or discussed it with Graves before she made her recommendation.
Bass has directed LAHSA outside of public view in the past, including by ordering it to contract with one of her mayoral transition advisors — Va Lecia Adams Kellum — as a $40,000-per-month consultant to design the mayor’s homelessness program Inside Safe.
Adams Kellum became LAHSA’s CEO just after the consulting contract ended in 2023. She left LAHSA last summer.
Graves also was on the mayor’s transition team and attended a meeting of Bass’ re-election campaign’s finance committee last year, according to a campaign disclosure. Graves runs a PR firm that has taxpayer-funded contracts overseen by Bass and her appointees.
Cole, who also serves as a Pasadena City Council member, said Szlasa’s removal is part of a “cover-up” of dysfunction at LAHSA.
“Mayor Bass hand-picked her choice to head LAHSA, who led directly to its downward tailspin,” Cole said, referring to Adams Kellum. “So it’s not surprising that her appointee [Graves] would be continuing the ongoing cover-up of dysfunction at the agency.”
LAist reached out to both Bass and Graves for reaction to Cole’s comments, but has not received a response.
In an email sent Friday after this article was published, LAHSA Chief of Staff Paul Rubenstein said it is normal for committee chairs to change year to year.
According to data he provided, at least one committee chair has previously remained for a second year in a row.
Fixing 'dysfunction' at LAHSA
Cole said Szlasa has been trying to fix the dysfunction that has led to problems at LAHSA.
Among those problems was $10 million in LAHSA funds alleged to have been illegally pocketed by the leader of a service provider, according to federal prosecutors.
Last week, LAist reported that LAHSA approved at least $3.5 million in taxpayer contracts to that group — Abundant Blessings — even after LAHSA’s compliance team flagged it as “High-Risk” for failing to do its job.
The Controller’s Office investigators found that “the only food items at these sites were things like Ramen noodles, cans of beans, and breakfast bars,” according to the federal criminal complaint filed this year.
“He’s not a grandstander,” Cole said of Szlasa. “He’s not holding press conferences. He’s not exposing individual people to ridicule. He’s trying to implement basic systems of data and financial management that a billion-dollar agency desperately needed, and which were grossly lacking.
“To isolate, ignore or punish Justin is so short-sighted."
Szlasa said there’s a big difference between being chair of the audit committee and being just a member.
“The chair sets the agenda. And the responsibility and the power to set the agenda sets the tone of the committee activity,” he added.
“If you're a member of a committee you can make recommendations for what you'd like to see on the next agenda,” he said. “But it's at the chair's prerogative to decide whether or not to put those items on the agenda. So it makes a big difference.”
Szlasa was appointed to the LAHSA Commission by L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. His replacement as audit committee chair is Charles Stringer, a Bass appointee.
Stringer has not responded to a request for comment.
Pushing for accountability
One habit that has set Szlasa apart: checking things out for himself.
Szlasa said he asked multiple times for a full commission discussion of what happened with those payments, and that LAHSA’s last two commission chairs did not schedule it.
The two prior chairs — Wendy Greuel and Amber Sheikh — have not responded to requests for comment.
"We have to really make sure that we're getting what we're paying for, and I want to see more accountability in that area,” Szlasa told LAist. “When it doesn't work, I want to look at it carefully to understand why it's not working.”
Szlasa also raised concerns last summer about "master leasing," which Bass championed as an approach to help move unhoused people inside quickly. It involves leasing an entire apartment building — making LAHSA the lease-holder — and then subleasing those units to people who have lived on the streets.
Szlasa said he visited a newly-built site where he was told disabled residents were carried up and down stairs because of broken elevators, with no clear responsibility for who should fix them. He said he asked LAHSA executives for an accounting of the program, but they never provided one.
A February request — into whether LAHSA has been improperly using one funder’s money to cover another’s bills — got no real answer, he said. Six months later, LAHSA said it was still checking whether records exist about the practice, which auditors flagged in 2024 as “misuse” of funds.
LAHSA can’t “produce what I would consider basic financial statements,” Szlasa said.
LAist asked LAHSA management why the records haven’t been provided, and has not received a response to that question.
A spokesperson said LAHSA checks if funds “are available from an appropriate funding source" before paying bills.
O’Neill responded that she’d answer later. She and her chief of staff have not responded to LAist’s questions about whether commissioners authorized the deal.
Separately, outside reviewers from the accounting firm KPMG told commissioners last week that LAHSA can’t easily track its own vendor payments.
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How LAPD responds when someone is experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis is getting a closer look. Last week, Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive directive ordering an independent review of the department’s response, including its policies, training and use of force.
Why it matters: LAPD officers fatally shot more than 60 people between 2021 and 2025, according to the most recent data the department reported to the California Department of Justice. All of those deaths will be reviewed.
Why now: “There is a severe shortage of mental and behavioral health care, and too many people in crisis have nowhere to turn,” Mayor Bass said in a prepared statement. “People cycle between the streets, emergency rooms, and detention facilities, and too often come into contact with law enforcement.”
What's next: The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners will need to retain an independent firm to conduct the audit and report back recommendations to the mayor’s office within six months. Bass said that the firm selected should be experts in constitutional policing and crisis response.
How LAPD responds when someone is experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis is getting a closer look.
Last week, Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive directive ordering an independent review of the department’s response, including its policies, training and use of force.
“There is a severe shortage of mental and behavioral health care, and too many people in crisis have nowhere to turn,” Mayor Bass said in a prepared statement. “People cycle between the streets, emergency rooms, and detention facilities, and too often come into contact with law enforcement.”
The Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners will need to retain an independent firm to conduct the audit and report back recommendations to the mayor’s office within six months. Bass said that the firm selected should be experts in constitutional policing and crisis response.
The review will determine how officers identify people in crisis, including those with intellectual and physical disabilities, and people who are under the influence of illicit substances.
LAPD officers fatally shot more than 60 people between 2021 and 2025, according to the most recent data the department reported to the California Department of Justice. All of those deaths will be reviewed.
The audit will also look into how the department tracks repeat calls about a person who is in crisis or needs help. Yong Yang’s case is one example. Yang was fatally shot by police in 2024, after his parents attempted to get him help during a behavioral health crisis.
His parents previously told The LA Local about how Yong Yang had nonviolent encounters with police before the encounter that ended in his death. They question why officers failed to de-escalate the confrontation before he was shot.
They’ve continued to call for accountability, even after LAPD closed its investigation into his death. Under Bass’ new directive, his case is one that would be reviewed.
The audit will evaluate:
Use of force: Incidents over the last five years of uses of force and arrests that resulted in death or serious bodily injury to determine if the person was experiencing a behavioral health crisis or had an intellectual disability.
De-escalation: Incidents over the last five years that did not result in death or serious bodily injury to determine how they were de-escalated.
Repeat calls: The department’s procedures for keeping track of people involved in repeated calls to police, including those who have a disability.
Training: The training officers receive about incidents with people experiencing behavioral crises.
Less-lethal options: What less-lethal force options are available to officers.
Custody and care: Uses of restraint and processes for medical treatment for people in police custody.
Officer wellness: Protocols for providing officers with mental health care after these confrontations.
Bass’ order comes about a month after the police department released graphic videos of men who died during police encounters. One video captured officers sitting on and restraining a handcuffed man for an extended period of time at a holding facility in the San Fernando Valley. The man, Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz, died soon after.
“When an encounter results in death or serious injury, we must rigorously examine whether our policies, training, tactics, supervision, and accountability systems are sufficient,” Bass said after the videos were released.
State audit says county health response fell short
Elly Yu
Elly Yu covers public health as part of her beat on early childhood.
Published September 30, 2026 5:00 AM
An aerial view of a truck driving through trash at Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic on Feb. 22, 2024. An aerial view of a truck driving through trash at Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic on Feb. 22, 2024. Photo by Allen J. Schaben, Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Allen J. Schaben
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Topline:
The California State Auditor says L.A. County Public Health’s response to the health conditions around the Chiquita Canyon landfill was inadequate.
The backstory: An underground chemical reaction at Chiquita Canyon landfill has burned for years, producing large amounts of noxious chemicals and bad odors. Residents nearby have complained about symptoms like headaches and nausea.
What’s new: The State Auditor released a report this week that found the county’s public health department hasn’t done enough to help or inform the community. For example, the audit says the department got reports from the landfill operator every quarter at times showing chemical levels that exceeded state thresholds, but didn’t let the public know. The department in its response said it considers a number of factors on deciding what poses a potential health risk.
More about LADPH response: The department said the report lacked context as to the department’s role within a multi-agency response and said it has been proactive to community health concerns. “It is therefore disappointing that the focus of the audit largely evaluates Public Health’s actions in isolation and not as part of a response structure created by federal, state, and local agencies,” a spokesperson told LAist in a statement.
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A detention officer waits outside the main entrance of the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego on Feb. 20, 2026.
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Adriana Helditz
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CalMatters
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Topline:
A new law will require local agencies to publicly disclose audio recordings and written records of 911 calls originating from privately run immigration detention facilities.
The Detention Facility Transparency Act: Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 423, called the Detention Facility Transparency Act, on Tuesday. It was one of 21 immigration-related bills in a package his office announced the same day. The law will require local agencies to turn over recordings and written records of 911 calls from privately run detention facilities if a member of the public requests them. It includes an exception if an active investigation is underway and requires redacting the names of affected individuals.
The backstory: In February, L.A. Taco reported that detainees inside Otay Mesa were throwing lotion bottles wrapped with notes about conditions inside over the wall of the facility to organizers standing outside. Earlier this year, CalMatters sought information, including 911 audio records and other reports, about alleged serious incidents at detention facilities through a California Public Records Act request. While a San Diego County sheriff’s spokesperson said the agency was not investigating those cases, he said he was unable to turn over additional records because they were part of “a law enforcement investigation.”
A new law will require local agencies to publicly disclose audio recordings and written records of 911 calls originating from privately run immigration detention facilities. The bill was prompted by CalMatters reporting on alleged sexual assaults at the Otay Mesa Detention Center.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 423, called the Detention Facility Transparency Act, on Tuesday. It was one of 21 immigration-related bills in a package his office announced the same day.
The law will require local agencies to turn over recordings and written records of 911 calls from privately run detention facilities, if a member of the public requests them. It includes an exception if an active investigation is underway and requires redacting the names of affected individuals.
“Well, it goes without saying, these past two years, Donald Trump has brought fear and has brought anxiety, disruption and stress to our immigrant communities,” Newsom said in a recorded video statement on his website.
“So, today, I sign a number of bills to strengthen transparency and to strengthen accountability and oversight over federal immigration enforcement and civil detention in our state,” the governor said.
State Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat from Long Beach, introduced SB 423 as state investigations and courts found serious gaps in essential medical care within the facilities. She said the aim was to stop private operators, and the agencies that work alongside them, from keeping what happens behind detention walls from the public's view.
In February, L.A. Taco reported that detainees inside Otay Mesa were throwing lotion bottles wrapped with notes about conditions inside over the wall of the facility to organizers standing outside.
“For 280 days we haven’t eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, apple, orange, or anything fresh," an Otay Mesa detainee wrote, the news outlet reported. "We are all in one big room with no doors or windows. We can’t see any grass or trees. We are all constantly sick.”
Gonzalez, who is chair of the Legislative Latino Caucus, said no person “should have to resort to throwing notes over the walls of a detention facility to have their needs met and their voices heard.”
Earlier this year, CalMatters sought information, including 911 audio records and other reports, about alleged serious incidents at detention facilities through a California Public Records Act request. While a San Diego County sheriff’s spokesperson said the agency was not investigating those cases, he said he was unable to turn over additional records because they were part of “a law enforcement investigation.”
“When journalists and reporters attempted to obtain records about reported incidents at these facilities through the Public Records Act, they faced severe pushback from law enforcement, citing vague investigatory records exemptions, despite there being no active investigation,” said Gonzalez.
Immigrant Defense Advocates and the First Amendment Coalition co-sponsored the bill.
“The governor has sent a powerful message: No more secrecy. SB 423 makes clear that 911 calls and related records about events in detention must be released upon request. This will shed more light on a notoriously opaque system, leading to stronger oversight and accountability,” Ginny LaRoe, Advocacy Director, First Amendment Coalition, said in a written statement.
Gonzalez’s bill was one of several detention oversight bills Newsom signed Tuesday. Others impose a new 25% tax on private detention facilities, expand health, safety and oversight requirements for the centers, and add to the state attorney general’s oversight role.
Why now: The ride has been closed since the evening of July 12, after two women who rode the coaster less than a week apart both needed to be rushed to the hospital after they exited. One of them, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, collapsed shortly after the ride ended and was found to have massive brain bleeding inside the skull that required emergency brain surgery. She remains in a vegetative state in the hospital, unable to speak or move and dependent on a ventilator. Her family filed a lawsuit against Six Flags on her behalf.
Why it matters: Six Flags recently settled a wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of a 22-year-old man who died after riding the coaster in 2022, and three more lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed last week. “While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do,” park President Brian Oerding said in an online announcement. “Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.”
The backstory: According to the Six Flags Magic Mountain website, the X2 roller coaster reaches a top speed of 76 mph (122 kph) and has a total length of 3,610 feet (1,100 meters). The seats rotate 360 degrees “so your body will be flipping around the entire time,” and the ride features two “raven turns” — half loops that turn into sheer drops midway. It debuted at the park in 2002 under the name X as the world’s first “fourth-dimension” roller coaster and reopened in 2008 as X2 with new trains and special effects. The uniqueness of the ride drew thrill-seekers from around the world and garnered a fervent fanbase.
The Southern California theme park said Tuesday that it is permanently shuttering the ride after nearly 20 years. Six Flags recently settled a wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of a 22-year-old man who died after riding the coaster in 2022, and three more lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed last week.
“While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do,” park President Brian Oerding said in an online announcement. “Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.”
The ride has been closed since the evening of July 12, after two women who rode the coaster less than a week apart both needed to be rushed to the hospital after they exited.
One of them, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, collapsed shortly after the ride ended and was found to have massive brain bleeding inside the skull that required emergency brain surgery. She remains in a vegetative state in the hospital, unable to speak or move and dependent on a ventilator. Her family filed a lawsuit against Six Flags on her behalf.
Her attorneys said more than 100 people claimed they suffered brain injuries from the roller coaster in the past two years, and more lawsuits would be filed in the coming weeks.
According to the Six Flags Magic Mountain website, the X2 roller coaster reaches a top speed of 76 mph (122 kph) and has a total length of 3,610 feet (1,100 meters). The seats rotate 360 degrees “so your body will be flipping around the entire time,” and the ride features two “raven turns” — half loops that turn into sheer drops midway.
It debuted at the park in 2002 under the name X as the world’s first “fourth-dimension” roller coaster and reopened in 2008 as X2 with new trains and special effects. The uniqueness of the ride drew thrill-seekers from around the world and garnered a fervent fanbase.
The park settled a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the family of Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old who died the day after he rode X2. He was taken to the hospital after the ride with severe brain bleeding. The medical examiner’s office said his death was from blunt head trauma. The case was settled at the end of August, a few days before the trial was scheduled to start.
