The Brief

Los Angeles County is planning to shift more than $300 million in funding away from the regional homeless services agency and toward the county’s first-ever homelessness department.

The blueprint for the new department is an existing county effort known as Housing for Health, which attempts to provide homes and support to people with serious physical or behavioral conditions.

The idea is that once a person has a stable living environment, most other aspects of their lives can become more stable as well, including health.

"From the beginning at Housing for Health, we really have tried to center the people we're serving,” said Housing for Health Director Sarah Mahin. “We will walk alongside someone for as long as it takes to help bring them inside.”

And it’s been successful, county authorities say.

Of the 1,100 clients who left shelters through the Housing for Health program last year, 37% landed in permanent housing, according to the county. By comparison, 29% of those who left shelters within the county’s broader network ended up housed, according to regional data.

Citing problems with transparency and oversight, L.A. County voted earlier this month to pull its funding out of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. A series of audits found that LAHSA, which is funded by both the city and county of Los Angeles, had improperly accounted for billions in taxpayer dollars.

Those findings prompted a federal fraud investigation, launched last week.

What the supervisors say

When the Board of Supervisors voted to create a new homelessness department within the county government, they stressed that they wanted it grounded in the idea that housing was key to a person’s overall well-being.

“I want to be clear that this is not more government, it is better government,” said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath at a board meeting this month. “And the gold standard exists right here in the county's Department of Health Services. It's called Housing for Health.”

Horvath led the effort to pull county funding from LAHSA.

“The status quo needs to change,” she said. “When seven people a day die on our streets in Los Angeles County, our need is urgent.”

Supervisor Holly Mitchell, who abstained from the vote to pull out of LAHSA, said she wanted more evidence that a new department would be more effective and accountable.

“I just want us as a policymaking body to make sure that we are using every tool in our toolkit to make sure that what we've created is better than what we're trying to move away from,” Mitchell said.

A homeless person walks by a closed business in Santa Monica.

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Valerie Macon

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AFP via Getty Images

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Bringing people inside

There are more than 75,000 people experiencing homelessness across L.A. County, according to last year’s point-in-time count. The county now has billions in funds from state, federal and local sources that it’s using to address the crisis, including an influx of new sales tax dollars flowing in under Measure A, approved by voters in November.

Housing for Health began in 2012 as a “prescription for housing” for people known to make frequent trips to county-run hospitals for all their healthcare needs. The initial goal was to cut down on costly emergency room visits.

The program expanded in 2017 because of federal dollars from Medi-Cal and county dollars from voter-approved Measure H.

Last year, Housing for Health served 57,000 people with a budget of $875 million and more than 600 staff. Working with various service providers, the program operated 3,200 temporary housing beds and placed nearly 5,000 people into permanent supportive housing, according to the county.

When it comes to housing placement, the program’s performance last year is comparable to L.A. Mayor Karen Bass' Inside Safe, which has also placed 37% of clients who left interim housing into permanent homes since it launched in 2022, according to the city.

Housing authorities also say Housing for Health has shown some success at getting people who have been living on the street into housing after its outreach teams make initial contact. In 2024, the teams connected 6% of people they contacted with housing.

That compares with 2.5% in outreach programs across the region, according to LAHSA.

Many of those programs do not include clinicians — medical professionals who can assess health needs and refer patients to doctors for further treatment.

Fostering a ‘culture of care’

Housing for Health provides homeless services across a spectrum, from prevention to permanent housing.

Its prevention unit has a 90% success rate at keeping clients housed, and 94% of its permanent housing residents remain housed after one year, according to the Department of Health Services.

LAist asked for data it could use to compare those rates to other programs, but LAHSA did not provide it.

Gary Blasi, a retired UCLA law professor who has tracked homelessness policy for more than 40 years, said Housing for Health has a strong “culture of care,” meaning its staff are willing to meet people where they are.

“That’s different from a lot of the so-called human services parts of the county that are really about managing people rather than caring for them,” he said.

Ferrino Norris has experienced that approach firsthand. He said a Housing for Health social worker helped him get medication for bipolar disorder a few years ago.

“He's always supportive to everybody here," Norris said. "He's got a good attitude, personality, everything. He's ... awesome.”

The Star Apartments in Skid Row house more than 100 people with health needs. Housing for Health's offices and flagship clinic are on the ground floor.

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Aaron Schrank

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LAist

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Nearly a quarter of all homeless residents in L.A. County have serious mental illness, and 27% have a substance use disorder, according to data from the 2024 Homeless Point-In-Time Count.

In 2022, UC San Francisco conducted a massive statewide survey of people experiencing homelessness and found that 60% of participants reported having at least one chronic health condition.

Studies show that moving chronically homeless people into permanent supportive housing significantly reduces costs associated with them living on the street.

A 2017 RAND Corporation study found that Housing for Health's permanent supportive housing program saved the county 20% in costs because of fewer hospital visits and jail stays. The average cost per person decreased from about $38,000 in the year before they received housing to $15,000 in the year after.

However, researchers caution against focusing solely on savings. This kind of housing, with intensive case management and medical support, is expensive, and many clients are housed for the rest of their lives.

The RAND study didn’t look at long-term costs.

“The cost will escalate over time,” said RAND researcher Sarah Hunter, who led the study. “You don't always find huge cost savings from these programs. They're more likely to be sort of cost neutral, but you are addressing chronic homelessness, and that's what they were designed to do.”

Accountability and transparency

County supervisors say the feedback they’ve received from service providers is mostly positive. They described Housing for Health’s contracting and accounting practices as “scrupulous” and “hands-on.”

Other observers agreed.

"They follow their protocols very strictly," said Blasi. "If you don't have notes to prove that you provided those services, you're going to have to explain that. I don't think that happens with most of the contractors for the other government agencies.”

A recent audit revealed LAHSA does not monitor its contracts with service providers while those contracts are in effect. In contrast, Housing for Health actively manages each of its service contracts and reviews data continuously, said Mahin, director of Housing for Health.

“We're not just doing it annually,” she said. “We’re doing it every day. We're also on the ground with our providers. We go to their sites and see how things are operating.”

She said providers are required to document every service they provide.

“If they're not providing the minimum level of service, we actually do contractor discrepancy reports and we will recoup payments if they haven't provided the minimum level of service that we expect,” Mahin said.

An apartment building in Pomona leases through the Housing for Health program.

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Matt Tinoco

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LAist

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The road ahead

The new county homelessness department is expected to be fully operational by summer 2026.

L.A. County officials are executing a risky transition: overhauling the entire homeless service delivery system without interrupting critical services. The new department is expected to have double the staff and budget as Housing for Health and will take on many of the responsibilities that LAHSA currently handles.

“It's a monumental administrative and bureaucratic system that they are inheriting,” said Blasi. “A lot of it is not healthcare. There's no reason for administrators in [Department of Health Services] to know anything about monitoring things that have nothing to do with healthcare.”

Some L.A. city leaders, while supportive of Housing for Health, remain skeptical of the county’s move away from LAHSA and toward an entirely new county department.

“What I fear most is that we are moving the money from one bureaucracy to another,” said L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman.

The new funding pouring into the county’s coffers through Measure A comes with requirements that the homeless services sector work towards specific goals and allows residents to track progress. The new department will be responsible for that.

“We’re always looking at how we can do things better,” Mahin said. “We don't pretend that we have the answers for everything, or that our system is perfect.”

She continued: “I think this is an exciting step for the county, but it's not a silver bullet.”

LAist reporter Nick Gerda contributed to this report.

File this under things that could only happen in L.A.

Paradise Dynasty, the Singapore-based chain known for its signature eight-flavor xiao long bao, has teamed up with Burritos La Palma — the SoCal burrito institution whose birria de res recipe traces back over 45 years — to create a limited-edition birria soup dumpling. The Birria XLB will be available starting Monday (May 11) for a limited time at Paradise Dynasty locations.

I've eaten my weight in both soup dumplings and burritos, so naturally, I'm a fan of both.

Paradise Dynasty has been on a steady ascent as a major player in L.A.'s dumpling scene, with locations at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa and The Americana at Brand in Glendale.

Meanwhile, Burritos La Palma — known for its simple, savory burritos and finely crafted flour tortillas — has been capturing hearts and stomachs since Alberto Bañuelos opened the first eatery in L.A. in 2012. It’s since grown to several spots across L.A. and Orange County, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2024 for its high-quality, Zacatecan-style handmade flour tortilla burritos at an affordable price.

How the collab came together

So what exactly is a birria soup dumpling? A delicate wrapper, lightly packed with tender birria de res — slow-braised beef stewed in chilies and spices — juicy, savory and gone in one bite.

It all began with a call from Paradise Dynasty, when Jason Kuo, district manager for Paradise Dynasty USA, reached out to Bañuelos, calling it, simply, a perfect match between the two dishes.

Kuo said the idea came straight from the community.

"When we started asking guests and people around us what flavor they would want to see in a soup dumpling, birria kept coming up again and again — it was very clear. If we're going to do birria, it has to be done right. Burritos La Palma was the first name that came to mind."

Bañuelos was "beyond thrilled" to have been approached.

"We come from a small town in Mexico, and to be able to elevate to the level of Paradise Dynasty and that culinary perfection, I can't even really put it into words," he said.

It took months of R&D to get the right consistency. Bañuelos said the process required dialing down the moisture and upping the spice potency and landed on serving a fresh red salsa with thin slivers of serrano peppers alongside — a riff on the black vinegar and pickled ginger traditionally served with soup dumplings.

The Birria XLB's juicy interior is part of what makes it work — the dish is served with a fresh, tomato-based salsa and slivers of serrano pepper in place of the traditional black vinegar and pickled ginger.

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Katrina Frederick

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Courtesy Paradise Dynasty

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How it tastes

I got a chance to try the dumplings ahead of the public launch and was struck by how well the combination worked. The juicy nature of birria is almost turbocharged in dumpling form, its savory, herbaceous flavors fully encapsulated in the thin skin, creating an exceptional texture in every bite. The dish hits even harder when dipped in the light tomato-based salsa — a rush of freshness that cuts through the richness, with a spike of heat from fresh serrano. (Feel free to skip the peppers if spice isn't your thing.)

But what's most impressive is how organic it all feels. This isn't fusion for fusion's sake — it's a natural meeting of two dishes that are deeply embedded in the Southern California diet, each playing to the other's strengths.

It feels like a logical meeting of the minds — birria and soup dumplings have both been part of L.A.'s culinary zeitgeist for the better part of a decade, and it makes sense that these worlds should collide.

When asked whether a collaboration like this could happen anywhere else, Bañuelos was quick: "It has to start in L.A. You just can't compete."

Where to try it

Nine Democratic House members from California are demanding information about how the Trump administration is treating unaccompanied migrant children who are pregnant and in federal custody. They’ve signed a letter, along with 39 other House Democrats, to Trump officials expressing their concern that the girls are not receiving adequate medical care or access to abortion.

The letter comes in the wake of an investigation by the California and Texas Newsrooms, public media collaboratives in those states. LAist is part of The California Newsroom.

The joint investigation found that the federal government is detaining pregnant migrant girls in a single group home in South Texas. Doctors and reproductive-health experts interviewed for the investigation said prenatal care is severely limited in that region.

The letter says the detention violates federal regulations because the children are “entitled to the full range of medical care, including reproductive health care.”

Rep. Gil Cisneros, who represents the central San Gabriel Valley, says he worries that pregnant migrants who are apprehended in California will be put at risk if they’re sent to a part of Texas that is short on obstetric care. Of particularly concern: High-risk pregnancies are common among minors.

“If they were in California," he said, "they would be able to have more choices of the type of health care that they would get when it comes to reproductive health care.”

Rep. Judy Chu, who represents the West San Gabriel Valley, wrote in a statement that “this administration is so intent on restricting abortion that it is using immigration detention as a tool to control these girls’ bodies.”

Mark Betancourt is a regular contributor to The California Newsroom. 

The U.S. Department of Education is investigating how the Los Angeles Unified School District responds to educators accused of sexual misconduct with students.

The department accuses the district of maintaining a policy that “automatically” reassigns teachers to other schools when they are accused of sexual misconduct with students and cites a 2024 agreement with the teachers union.

A Los Angeles Unified spokesperson wrote in a statement that it’s “not true” that staff being investigated for sexual misconduct are reassigned to other school sites.

“‘Reassignment’ typically means an employee is directed to remain at home and away from students and schools during an investigation,” the spokesperson wrote.

United Teachers Los Angeles called the DOE's accusations a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the district’s reassignment policy.

“[Employees] are not reassigned to another classroom or to any other setting where they would interact with students,” read a statement provided by the union. “This policy protects both students and staff and creates conditions for a thorough and appropriate investigation of allegations.”

What to expect from the federal investigation

The federal investigation, overseen by the department’s Office for Civil Rights, will assess whether the district’s policy violates Title IX, a law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs.

Kimberly Richey, the assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote in a statement that Title IX requires schools to address claims of sexual misconduct in a “timely manner.”

“It is unconscionable that the district would simply ignore Title IX’s procedural requirements to protect teachers who cause life-changing harm to their kids,” Richey wrote. “The Trump administration will always fight to uphold the law, protect the safety of all students and restore common sense to our schools.”

The Trump administration also has recently targeted LAUSD's desegregation policy and transgender student protections.

Last year, the office failed to resolve any cases related to sexual harassment, sexual violence or racial harassment, according to a report released by Sen. Bernie Sanders in late April. Sanders is the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Education Committee.

In March 2025, the Trump administration pushed to cut over half of OCR’s nearly 600 staff members, which contributed to a growing backlog of cases. Those employees were placed on administrative leave pending the result of legal challenges, and many were later brought back.

The Education Department has also withheld records related to civil rights investigations, prompting a lawsuit from investigative nonprofit newsroom ProPublica.

What does LAUSD’s policy say? 

LAUSD protocol related to employee misconduct says administrators must remove accused employees from their classroom or worksite whenever there is a risk to the safety of students or staff.

The 110-page protocol document also lists several other requirements for allegations related to sexual misconduct, including contacting law enforcement and the agencies that license teachers.

“Los Angeles Unified takes all allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment with the utmost seriousness,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement. “Our primary responsibility is to ensure the safety, dignity and well-being of every student and staff member in our care.” The statement also said the district follows Title IX procedures and continuously reviews its policies, training and reporting systems.

The UTLA settlement outlines several circumstances where an employee can be reassigned, including a law enforcement investigation of misconduct, sexual harassment of a student, behavior toward a student perceived to be motivated by a sexual interest and communicating with a student for non-school-related purposes.

School employees are “mandated reporters” who must, by law, notify local law enforcement or child welfare agencies of suspected child abuse or neglect. California Attorney General Rob Bonta reminded K-12 school district leaders in late April of their legal obligation to prevent sexual misconduct and protect students.

How prevalent is sexual misconduct in California schools?

There have been few comprehensive studies of sexual misconduct in schools. A 2004 report to the Department of Education estimated 1-in-10 students experiences sexual misconduct, ranging from inappropriate comments to physical abuse.

A new California law requires schools to train students and staff to recognize and report misconduct and write new policies on “appropriate behavior.” It also will create a new database of educators credibly accused of abuse.

More than 1,000 lawsuits related to sexual abuse that date to the 1940s have been filed against California school districts since the enactment of a 2019 law that gave victims a three-year window to sue.

LAUSD has authorized $750 million in bonds to pay for sexual misconduct settlements related to suits stemming from the law.

The LA County Library has begun its Summer of Soccer program to bring the excitement of the North American tournament to all Angelenos.

“Soccer has a unique way of bringing people together across cultures and communities,” Skye Patrick, director of the LA County Library, said on the library website.

The program kicked off May 1 with the library system offering limited-edition Summer of Soccer library cards, emblazoned with the library logo, the outline of a soccer pitch and a ball hitting the back of a net.

The new limited-edition Summer of Soccer library cards

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Courtesy LA County Public Library

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The cards are available for free for anyone signing up for the first time and for $1 for people who already have an LA County Library card.

From soccer story time to making circuit boards

There’s a whole range of Summer of Soccer events at branch libraries, from May 20 to July 9.

Highlights include a soccer-themed story time for 2- to 5-year-olds at Graham Library, north of Watts at 3:30 p.m. June 4, while at 3 p.m. the same day, the A C Bilbrew Library west of Compton hosts “Makey Makey for Teens,” which will lead youth through the steps to make their own game controllers and test them on a virtual soccer field. This and other programs repeat at other branches.

All Summer of Soccer events are free and are designed to support youth and families during the summer months when school is not in session.

The LA County Library serves more than three million residents through its 86 libraries and four Cultural Resource Centers, as well as Bookmobiles and other outreach vehicles.