Judge rejects L.A. County’s revamped homeless settlement

A frustrated federal judge once again refused to sign off on an agreement that would have ended a long-running lawsuit over the government response to the homeless crisis, criticizing Los Angeles County officials for bringing him a settlement he felt the court had no way to enforce. It was the second time in recent months county leaders have appeared in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge David O. Carter with an agreement they hoped would put to rest a years-long legal battle with the Los Angeles Alliance for Human Rights, a coalition of downtown residents and business groups that sued the city and county at the start of the pandemic arguing they had failed the region’s homeless population. “The court’s decision today will keep the County and Plaintiffs tied up in needless and costly litigation instead of allowing them to move forward with a historic settlement to provide another $850.5 million for new programs and services to people experiencing homelessness.” County officials first announced a settlement with the L.A. Alliance in September that would have nearly doubled the number of outreach teams serving people with severe mental illness and added 300 substance use and mental health beds, among other investments aimed at helping the region’s most vulnerable residents. While the county touted the creation of roughly 1,500 beds for people with mental illness and substance abuse issues as part of a “historic” settlement, Carter said he felt that number represented the “bare minimum.” L.A. City Council President Paul Krekorian, who spoke on behalf of the city at the hearing, similarly noted that while the bed totals showed progress, he felt it would amount to only “incremental improvement” in the region’s homeless crisis. “For goodness’ sake, this comes from your own mental health director.” The judge also said he wanted to see oversight provisions in the county’s agreement similar to what was in the agreement the city of Los Angeles hammered out with the L.A. Alliance — and Carter approved — last April to resolve their portion of the lawsuit.