Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Judge Picks Auditor To Assess Homeless Services in LA

A federal judge has selected an auditor to conduct what could be the most comprehensive picture of Los Angeles’ response to homelessness in years.
The decision was made on Monday, according to court transcripts.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter tasked Alvarez & Marsal with the audit. The probe is the result of an ongoing, years-long lawsuit filed by a downtown business group, the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, against the city and county over its lack of progress on addressing homelessness.
The firm was picked after two other potential auditors, CliftLarsonAllen (CLA) and Horne LLP, gave presentations in a downtown courtroom last Thursday.
Scott Marcus, an attorney for the city, said in Friday’s hearing that he was given additional information that made Horne LLP “less desirable to the court” and that he didn’t think CLA “was capable of performing the audit” they had in mind, according to court transcripts.
What do we know about the firm?
Alvarez & Marsal is a consulting firm with about 9,000 employees and dozens of offices around the world, including in L.A.’s Westchester neighborhood.
David McCurley, a Texas-based managing director who leads the firm’s state and local government practice, said in Thursday’s hearing that Alvarez & Marsal will bring their expertise in government efficiency, health and human services, and forensic accounting to the audit.
“We know that the effective populations that we're going to be dealing with, many of them struggle with either behavioral health, physical health, disabilities, a variety of other challenges that make them a more challenging population to deal with, and we want to make sure that we're bringing all of that stuff to bear as we tackle it,” McCurley said.
The price range the firm provided was between $2.8 million and $4.2 million to complete the audit in 20 weeks, said Scott McKee, a managing director and accountant who works with the firm’s disputes and investigations team.
During the Thursday hearing, Carter called on the firm to seek out the perspective of people living on the streets.
“I want to make certain that you are willing to visit with the community,” he said. “In other words, you're going to be talking to politicians, statisticians, etcetera, and I want you to absolutely promise me that you're willing to take to the streets.”
Carter reiterated those directives during Monday’s hearing, saying he’s asked Alvarez & Marsal to visit the unhoused communities “almost immediately,” according to court transcripts.
Who is paying?
The L.A. City Council agreed to pay between $1.5 and $2.2 million for the audit on Friday, which is hundreds of thousands of dollars less than the minimum price Alvarez & Marsal had originally proposed.
Alvarez & Marsal have committed to staying within the council’s budget, even if it means they’re doing some pro bono work.
“This is very, very important work,” said Diane Rafferty, a managing director with the firm’s public sector group, according to court transcripts. “We’re not cutting ourselves off at 40 hours a week. If it takes us more time, if it takes us to meet you on Saturday and Sunday in these areas, we’re going to do that.”
The firm will be going through the contracting process over the next week, but Carter made it clear the city can’t limit the court-ordered audit and “there’s no cap” on the cost.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?