Former U.S. Congresswoman Katie Hill has been appointed to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Hill, who most recently served as CEO of Union Station Homeless Services, was appointed to LAHSA by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis.
“I am honored to serve on the LAHSA Commission at this critical juncture in addressing the homelessness crisis,” Hill said in a news release. “Our system must rapidly evolve to be able to effectively utilize the increased public resources that have been dedicated to ending and preventing homelessness in our communities. We need to remove bureaucratic barriers while increasing accountability, and LAHSA’s success is crucial to doing so. I look forward to representing the perspective of direct service providers as the commission supports these efforts.”
Hill’s appointment comes at a rocky time for the agency, which was the subject of another scathing audit released last month. The review found that LAHSA had repeatedly mishandled taxpayer funds and failed to properly track spending, leaving tens of millions of dollars unaccounted for. The audit also accused LAHSA of late payments to contractors and said it failed to ensure that contractors’ obligations were fulfilled.
Following the review, County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath announced she would introduce a motion to create a new county department to oversee homelessness.
“The audit findings make clear the structure we have for service delivery is not working,” Horvath said. "We need greater accountability and bold action.”
Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez is spearheading her own effort to cut the city’s ties with LAHSA. Rodriguez recently penned a letter of support for Horvath and County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s plan to withdraw county funds from the troubled authority.
Personnel problems have been dogging the agency as well. On Nov. 22, LAHSA’s new Chief Programming Officer Lilly Simmering abruptly resigned, less than two weeks into the job. Horvath had raised questions about Simmering’s appointment because of her previous position as Orange County’s Deputy CEO. Simmering was at the helm when Orange County allocated millions of dollars to a nonprofit led by the daughter of Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do. That scandal eventually culminated in Do pleading guilty to bribery.
The search firm that recruited Simmering has said she was subjected to a comprehensive background check, with “special attention” paid to the legal issues surrounding Do.
“My firm found that there were no issues that would impact her work for LAHSA, and I stand by the recommendation to hire her,” Daniel Sherman, President and CEO of the Explore Company, told LAist.
LAHSA’s latest hire, Katie Hill, comes with her own history of controversy. She resigned from Congress in 2019 after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a campaign staffer.
With both city and county officials proposing to strip LAHSA of much of its power and funding, one wonders: is Hill joining a sinking ship?