LA Park Needs Assessment Phase 2 Community Meetings
Join Recreation and Parks for the second round of community meetings where you can get the inside scoop on the data being evaluated, share your ideas, and help shape the future of LA’s parks. Spanish translation and refreshments provided!
Click here to RSVP for one of the numerous upcoming meetings.
The Los Angeles City Council has confirmed Tim O’Connor as the new Executive Director and Ratepayer Advocate of the Office of Public Accountability (OPA). His five-year term was approved on Tuesday following his appointment by the Mayor.
OPA is an independent office created by the City Charter to oversee the Department of Water and Power (DWP). It serves as a watchdog for rate proposals and department operations. Although funded by the DWP, the office maintains financial independence.
O’Connor replaces Dr. Fred Pickel, who served as Ratepayer Advocate for over ten years. Pickel earned respect for his ability to balance collaboration with DWP and City Hall while protecting the interests of ratepayers through honest and thorough analysis.
Tim O’Connor brings decades of public policy and environmental leadership experience. Those who have worked with him describe him as experienced, principled, and thoughtful. His appointment is expected to ensure that the OPA continues to promote transparency, accountability, and strong advocacy for residents.
If you would like to give in-person feedback on Mayor Karen Bass’s proposed budget, you can speak at the Budget and Finance Committee meeting on Monday, April 28.
This meeting is in-person only at City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles.
You can view the meeting agenda, including time and location details, here.
If you prefer, you can submit written comments here and reference Council File 25-0600.
Mayor Bass delivered her State of the City address on April 21 and announced the release of the proposed Fiscal Year 2025–2026 City Budget.
Despite facing a nearly $1 billion deficit, the proposed budget is balanced and focuses on public safety, homelessness, and essential City services.
Homelessness Reduction:
Street homelessness dropped by 10%, and makeshift structures fell by 38%. Critical funding remains to prevent people from falling back into homelessness.
Public Safety Staffing:
No layoffs of sworn LAPD officers or LAFD firefighters. LAPD retained 120 more officers this year.
LAFD Staffing:
LAFD will add 227 new positions, including more paramedics and emergency responders.
9-1-1 Response Improvements:
Funding for nearly 700 emergency dispatchers to cut down response times.
City Services Maintained:
Library and Recreation & Parks facility hours will stay the same.
Capital Projects Funded:
Projects include the LA Convention Center, Sepulveda Basin improvements, and new recreation facilities in the Valley and South LA.
Department Consolidations:
Proposed to streamline services and improve operational efficiency.
Layoffs:
1,647 layoffs are proposed, but Mayor Bass is advocating for state assistance to reduce this number and protect City jobs.
The updated MyLA311 app was officially released on March 28 with a fresh new design and improved features to help you report City service requests more easily than ever.
Submit service requests
Browse the City Services Directory
Available in multiple languages
Download it now on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Learn more at myla311.lacity.org
Essayli testifying at a microphone
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced a new Homelessness Fraud and Corruption Task Force to investigate misuse of funds intended to fight homelessness in seven California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
The task force includes federal prosecutors from the Major Frauds, Public Corruption and Civil Rights, and Civil Fraud sections of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Federal partners include the FBI, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Inspector General, and the IRS Criminal Investigation division.
Los Angeles County alone has more than 75,000 people experiencing homelessness, including over 45,000 in the city of Los Angeles. The other six counties combined have more than 20,000.
Essayli said voters have supported large funding efforts, but billions in spending have failed to solve the crisis. A recent audit found serious problems with how Los Angeles City and County manage homelessness services, including bad data and weak financial oversight.
“California has spent more than $24 billion over the past five years to address homelessness,” Essayli said. “But officials have been unable to account for all the expenditures and outcomes, and the homeless crisis has only gotten worse. Taxpayers deserve answers.”
Los Angeles officials have started pulling away from LAHSA, the joint city-county agency overseeing homeless services. LAHSA has faced repeated criticism over waste, inefficiency, and lack of transparency (Daily News).
Federal support continues despite the concerns. During the pandemic, $100 million in emergency funds went to Los Angeles County. Last month, HUD awarded more than $200 million to address homelessness in the region.
The new task force will prioritize reviewing federal, state, and local programs that receive federal funding. It will also investigate fraud involving private donations meant to help unhoused people.
“Any exploitation of the homelessness crisis via the theft of funds intended to improve conditions cannot and will not be tolerated,” said Akil Davis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
Tyler Hatcher of IRS Criminal Investigation added, “We’re uniquely poised to track any funds granted through federal programs and will help ensure money is spent properly.”
Essayli became U.S. attorney for the Central District of California on April 2 (Daily News). He previously served two terms in the California State Assembly.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed concern about the task force, saying she only learned about it on Tuesday. In a radio interview, she warned against what she called a “fishing expedition.”
“Our purpose is to end homelessness, and especially street homelessness. We do not need to be distracted from our number one mission,” she said.
Bass’s press secretary, Clara Karger, pointed to a 10% drop in street homelessness in 2024 as proof that current efforts are working.
“We’ll continue to focus on saving lives and disrupting the status quo,” Karger said.
To further engage the community and gather important feedback, LA Sanitation and Environment is hosting a second 30-minute virtual public meeting on this proposed ban. This follows our first meeting on March 26, which yielded valuable input. To ensure that those who were unable to attend our initial session have an opportunity to participate, we’ve scheduled a second evening session. We will be presenting the same information shared in the first session, so if you missed it, this is an excellent opportunity to catch up, ask questions, and contribute your feedback.
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday April 16, 2025
Time: 6:00PM to 6:30PM
Location: Zoom (Link to be provided upon registration)
Agenda:
Please note, no decisions will be made during this meeting – it is an opportunity to ensure that your voice is heard.
Your feedback is critical! We encourage your participation, whether you are a consumer, business owner, or someone passionate about sustainability.
To register for the public meeting, please visit https://
For additional information on the City’s plastic reduction strategy and efforts, please visit https://sanitation.lacity.gov/
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to san_sourcereduction@lacity.org
Thank you for your participation in helping shape a more sustainable Los Angeles!
LA County Launches New Homeless Services Department
On Tuesday, April 1, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to create a new county department focused entirely on homelessness. The vote passed 4 to 0, with Supervisor Holly Mitchell abstaining.
This major change shifts funding and control away from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), a joint agency between the City and County of Los Angeles. The new department will handle about $1 billion in funding and employ around 1,000 people. It is scheduled to launch on January 1, 2026, with a full transition from LAHSA programs by July 1, 2026.
The move follows years of criticism that LAHSA was slow to act and lacked accountability. A November 2023 audit from the County Auditor-Controller’s Office listed several issues. These included a lack of repayment agreements with partners, delays in reimbursing nonprofits, weak contract oversight, and inappropriate use of funds.
LA City Council to Vote on Using ULA Funds for Wildfire Rent Relief
The Los Angeles City Council will vote on Tuesday, April 1, on whether to use $15 million from the United to House LA Fund to support renters affected by the January wildfires.
Measure ULA, passed by voters in November 2022, was created to support long-term affordable housing. The proposal would redirect part of that funding for emergency rental relief. It also asks city staff to report on additional ways to use Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds.
Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield, Traci Park, John Lee, and Heather Hutt introduced the motion.
Supporters say this move is needed to protect tenants and small landlords who are still recovering from the wildfires.
“Redirecting existing funds already designated for housing assistance toward emergency rental assistance is a practical and effective way to prevent evictions and not place the burden on mom and pop rental providers who often carry the financial burden in the wake of disasters,” said Councilmember John Lee in a statement released Monday, March 31.
He added, “I fully support this reallocation as a logical step to keep our communities stable and help residents recover.”
Not everyone agrees with the plan.
The Los Angeles City Council approved a set of motions Wednesday aimed at strengthening protections for immigrants in response to increased federal enforcement efforts and threats to sanctuary cities.
In a 10-0 vote, council members directed staff to report on new policies that would require businesses in Los Angeles to notify the city of any Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and to inform workers of their rights before potential raids. The council also asked city staff to identify $540,000 to sustain immigration legal services. This funding would fill a gap caused by a freeze from the Trump Administration.
Council members John Lee, Tim McOsker, Adrin Nazarian, Traci Park, and Nithya Raman were absent during the vote.
In a separate 12-0 vote, the council approved two additional motions after amendments were introduced by Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and Ysabel Jurado. McOsker, Park, and Raman were absent for those votes as well.
The approved motions include the development of a citywide “Know Your Rights Campaign.” This effort will inform immigrants in Los Angeles about nondiscrimination protections, sanctuary policies, and available legal resources.
