In Reversal, Feds Approve One Of Bass’ Biggest Requests To Speed Up Homeless Housing

Following requests from L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and questions from LAist, federal officials on Monday granted one of the mayor’s biggest asks to help speed up the time it takes unhoused people to get into permanent housing.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it is providing a new waiver that removes a key hurdle that Bass and homeless service providers have cited for delays in getting people into available long-term housing meant for them.

Instead of having to gather a variety of bank statements, tax filings and other proof of income before being able to move in, the waiver allows the city to move unhoused people in first and provide their paperwork later.

“I’m very excited about it,” Bass told LAist in an interview Monday.

“We're hoping that this will allow Inside Safe residents in motels to be moved into permanent supportive housing much quicker,” she said, referring to her motel shelter program. The program has struggled to place people in long-term housing, which is its ultimate goal, with just 8% moving in as of mid-August.

“This just, again, shows you the significance of the relationship of working with the federal government,” Bass said.

In an interview Monday, a top HUD official told LAist the agency had just notified the city about the waiver that day.

“We’re allowing, basically, the city to accept homeless residents —people that are in the system — and move them into permanent housing as quickly as possible, but then verify income within 60 days,” said Richard Monocchio, who oversees housing subsidies at HUD.

“Getting these units filled as quickly as possible is a top priority,” he added, saying the waiver will take effect immediately.

“This is a waiver that, in the past, hasn't typically been granted. But the way I looked at it was, in light of the seriousness of the issue — and the city and the housing authorities requested to please take another look at that particular waiver request — I decided it was in the best interest of the city of L.A., and within federal purview.”

Waivers were previously cited by L.A.’s top homeless services official, Va Lecia Adams Kellum, as the main policy change that would help unhoused people get housed.

“This decision by HUD is a game changer," said Adams Kellum, in an emailed statement to LAist that praised Bass' advocacy and HUD's decision. "People experiencing homelessness will be able to move into housing faster and vacant units will be filled more quickly."

The fast-tracking comes as Bass has expressed frustration with the slow pace of people moving from her Inside Safe motels program into permanent housing, while hundreds of apartments for unhoused people sit empty in the city. The mayor and homeless service providers have called for the federal document waivers to speed up the process of filling those units, which can take months of pulling paperwork together.

For weeks, Bass has been asking HUD for waivers that let people move in first and then submit documents by specific deadlines. On July 14, federal officials approved some of her requests — around social security cards and proof of disabilities — while rejecting the income proof waiver.

But on Aug. 4, the mayor renewed her request for the proof of income waivers, asking HUD to rethink their denial. The same day, LAist started asking HUD officials where they stand on the mayor’s requests.