LA Homeless Services Authority to Lay Off 284 Employees

0:00It's April 21st. You're listening to California News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Cory with the story. LA Homeless Services Authority just dropped a big change, announcing they'll lay off 284 employees by the end of June. This public agency, known as LAHESA, is narrowing its role after losing major funding from LA County. Last April, the LA County Board of Supervisors pulled more than $300 million in annual support, forcing these cuts. Interim CEO Gita O'Neill calls it a necessary shift to focus on big picture stuff like governance, data, and chasing federal dollars. Back in December, some LAHES workers sent an open letter begging supervisors to protect jobs funded by the county. Now, with hundreds affected, O'Neill thanked the staff for driving down street homelessness over the last two years. Layoff notices go out April 30th, and they'll also cut 130 empty positions. A spokesperson says some jobs might stick around, depending on the city of Los Angeles budget details.

1:03As LAHA evolves into more of a strategy for the homelessness fight, the real test comes with keeping those gains on the streets while reshaping the team.