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Contempt hearing continues in federal case over LA's homelessness response
A pedestrian walks past Los Angeles City Hall. L.A. authorities are expected to appear at a federal court hearing Tuesday.
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Allen J. Schaben
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Getty Images
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Los Angeles authorities appeared Tuesday at a federal court hearing where a judge is considering whether to hold the city in contempt.
It’s the latest step in a long-running legal saga focused on the city's response to the region’s homelessness crisis.
The hearing was ordered by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, who has been overseeing a settlement in a lawsuit brought against the city by the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, a group of downtown business and property owners.
L.A. Alliance sued the city and county in 2020, accusing both of failing to adequately address homelessness by providing enough shelter and housing for thousands of unhoused people.
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The region currently spends 90% of HUD dollars on permanent housing, but the feds capped it at 30%. -
Weingart Center has been continuously out of compliance for nearly four years, according to an LAist review of records. Audits found multiple failures to properly account for taxpayer money. -
Critics say the current state-approved housing plan will make the city overcrowded.
The contempt-of-court hearing started nearly two weeks ago but was paused until Tuesday, after the Thanksgiving holiday and when more witnesses could appear in person.
Two witnesses testified during Tuesday’s hours-long hearing: a deputy chief with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and a former policy advisor for the L.A. Alliance. They largely fielded detailed questions about the settlement, their respective responsibilities in each organization, data reporting and the definitions of relevant terms such as "encampment" and "offer of shelter."
Other witnesses are expected to testify throughout the hearing, including Matt Szabo, the L.A. city administrative officer, who may be called to the stand Thursday.
How we got here
The contempt hearing is expected to cover whether the city has complied with court orders and provided regular updates to the court under the settlement agreement reached in 2022.
Carter said in a Nov. 14 order that he’s concerned “the city has demonstrated a continuous pattern of delay” in meeting its obligations under court orders. He said he’s concerned the “delay continues to this day.”
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Attorneys for the city have pushed back against the hearing, filing objections with the judge and making an unsuccessful emergency request with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals last month to block it from happening. City authorities also asked the appeals court to press pause on the judge’s order to appoint a monitor in the case to make sure the city stays on track with the settlement.
The appeals court allowed the contempt-of-court hearing to move forward Nov. 19 but agreed to pause the appointment of Daniel Garrie as monitor.
What's next
The hearing is expected to resume Thursday, according to court documents. Another date is set for Dec. 15, when Garrie is expected to testify.
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