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.
LA agrees to pay nearly $5 million for big law firm in homelessness lawsuit
L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto at a news conference this April.
(
Carlin Stiehl
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
The Los Angeles City Council has agreed to pay millions more to a big law firm representing the city in a long-running federal legal settlement over the city’s response to the region’s homelessness crisis. The move comes despite some members’ concerns about the ballooning budget.
Why it matters
The city agreed in May to pay $900,000 to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher for an initial two-year contract. Then the city blew through that budget in just a few days.
The law firm billed the city about $1.8 million for two weeks of work, according to a May invoice LAist obtained through a public records request.
Support for LAist comes from
Altogether, the city has been invoiced for $3.2 million as of Aug. 8, according to a memo written by L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and obtained by the L.A. Times. LAist filed a public records request on Aug. 8 for the firm’s invoices starting in June, but still has not received those records from the City Attorney’s Office.
Why now
At the recommendation of the Budget and Finance Committee, the L.A. City Council agreed to amend the contract to increase funding for the firm to nearly $5 million through June 2026.
The vote on Wednesday was 10-3, with Councilmembers Nithya Raman, Adrin Nazarian and Tim McOsker against it. Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield and Monica Rodriguez were absent for the full council vote.
McOsker also voted against the Budget and Finance recommendation during the committee meeting on Tuesday.
The backstory
The City Council initially delayed the decision to increase the budget, sending the city attorney’s request to the Budget and Finance Committee a few weeks ago for further consideration.
Support for LAist comes from
Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who chairs the committee, said in a previous statement to LAist that she and her colleagues want to address the cost “in a way that protects taxpayers and establishes a thoughtful, long-term strategy for managing outside legal expenses.”
Yaroslavsky said the committee “ came up with what we thought was a reasonable solution” during Wednesday’s council meeting.
What's next
The firm has continued to work on the case for the city, including during a downtown L.A. hearing on Tuesday. The city is appealing a federal judge’s ruling that found officials failed in multiple ways to follow a settlement agreement to create more shelter for unhoused people.
Go deeper … for more about the firm and how we got here.
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.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year. -
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs. -
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist