LA Mayor Bass Quits Beleaguered Homeless Authority As House Subcommittee Calls for Her to Testify

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has decided to give up her seat on the city's Homelessness Services Authority (LAHSA) just as the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency ordered Bass to testify before the committee on September 15 about alleged "waste, fraud, and abuse" that could involve more than $1 billion in federal funding. The New York Post reported on September 9 that the Mayor would be stepping down from her seat, and a new member would be appointed to the commission.

No one should vote for Karen Bass.

The alternatives are terrible as well, but a vote for Karin Bass means reelecting incompetence and rewarding failure. https://t.co/D3KfViTxnm

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) September 15, 2026

Bass is facing increasing pressure to explain the millions of taxpayer dollars spent on the homeless population in the city by the LAHSA. At the same time, the problem doesn't seem to be improving. Bass's departure comes as she told the House Subcommittee that she would be "unavailable" to be in Washington, D.C., to testify before the Committee. Subcommittee Chairman Tim Burchett put it bluntly, saying:

“By stepping down from the LAHSA board, Mayor Bass has all but admitted that she failed to address Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis. If Mayor Bass wanted to take responsibility, she would appear and testify at Tuesday’s Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency hearing.”

But even as Bass has sat on the LAHSA since 2023, she could barely make the meetings. She missed 13 of 21 meetings between mid-August 2025 and now. 

And though Bass is a no-show for Tuesday's testimony, the House DOGE Subcommittee will proceed without her. However, it has requested records from Bass's office regarding LAHSA's internal controls, federal funding, and any communications between Bass's office and any government agencies. Those records were due to the Subcommittee on September 14, the day before Bass was originally asked to appear. 

The Trump administration has apparently had enough of Bass's antics and attempted to suspend the LAHSA funding. Los Angeles County has even suspended most of the funds slated for the LAHSA and created a homelessness department of its own.

Karen Bass: “I can’t testify due to my busy schedule”

The busy schedule: https://t.co/CXH9pZ47Wd

— KarenBassProgressReport (@KBassProgReport) September 14, 2026

What does Karen Bass have to hide? Plenty when it comes to homelessness in L.A. From 2025 to 2026, there has been a 1.2 percent increase in the homeless population in Los Angeles County. In the city of Los Angeles, that number also rose by 3.4 percent. In the words of the New York Post, "Los Angeles isn’t ending homelessness — it’s financing it..." 

Congressman Burchett may have summed it up best, saying:

“Democrats have proven time and again that they have no interest in solving the homelessness crisis plaguing America’s cities. Instead of pursuing solutions that work, they continue throwing millions of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars at a broken system.” 

While Karen Bass dodges the House Subcommittee, hiding behind her busy schedule, it is the homeless citizens of her city who suffer.

Mayor Karen Bass is apparently “not available” to testify before Congress about Los Angeles’ homelessness funding on Sept. 15.

LAHSA has received over $1 BILLION in federal funds since 2021.

Surely Mayor Bass can find some time to answer questions about where the money went. https://t.co/MNdEbKFPLN

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) September 8, 2026

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