Morning Brief: LA’s Homeless Authority, Purging Pot Convictions, And Cinelounge Outdoors

Good morning, L.A. It’s Sept. 28.

Like most Angelenos, I know that our city is in the middle of a major housing crisis. I also know that we’ve received billions of dollars in local, state and national funding to address the problem.

And yet, it can be hard to understand how those funds are administered. To answer this question and more, my colleague Ethan Ward — our new housing reporter — is examining the forces at play. Yesterday, he published a deep dive looking at the work of the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.

LAHSA’s job is big and unwieldy, Ethan notes, given that L.A. is the largest urban county in the nation. The county agency is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the many organizations, community leaders and government programs offering services for the unhoused.

But the magnitude of the task before LAHSA hasn’t stopped local officials from starkly criticizing their progress. Nury Martinez, the L.A. City Council President, introduced a motion in 2020 questioning whether LAHSA was still an effective model. Kathryn Barger, an L.A. County Supervisor, said this year that it’s time for “sweeping changes to the system.”

L.A. City Councilman Paul Koretz recently introduced a motion to prepare for the city’s possible withdrawal from LAHSA, and Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas co-authored a motion to review LAHSA’s financial operations.

In other words, officials are unimpressed. To read more about LAHSA and what might become of it, check out Ethan’s full story here.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• L.A. District Attorney George Gascón has purged another 58,000 old marijuana convictions in L.A. County.
• Southern California will receive hundreds of Afghan refugee families, and it’s all hands on deck for the agencies tasked with helping. 
• Karen Bass has announced her bid for mayor of L.A. 
• In a disaster, FEMA is there to help the uninsured and underinsured, but full recovery is going to be on you.
• Bashir Keshafi and his family returned to Anaheim after being trapped in Kabul after the Taliban takeover.

Before You Go ... Cinelounge Outdoors

Jon Lovett performs at Largo on September 21, 2017. Lovett will host "Lovett or Leave It."

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Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

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Getty Images North America

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Join podcast host and comedian Jon Lovett for “Lovett or Leave It,” an evening of comedy outdoors. This week’s guests are B.J. Novak and Ashley Ray. Drinks and food will be available for purchase.

Or, you could: Check out the cars from James Bond films. Watch spooky cinema at Beyond Fest and Shriekfest. Visit the Academy’s new museum. Attend KPCC’s virtual event with Kat Chow about her memoir, Seeing Ghosts. Listen to Mozart under the stars. And more.