LAHSA Plans Layoffs of 284 Employees as County Shifts Homeless Strategy

April 21, 2026

By Brian Hews

LOS ANGELES — A sweeping restructuring at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority will result in hundreds of layoffs as county leaders move to overhaul how homelessness services are managed across the region.

LAHSA officials announced they will issue layoff notices to 284 employees on April 30, with positions set to end June 30, aligning with the close of the current fiscal year. The cuts include 216 union-represented workers and 68 non-represented staff, in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

The layoffs are part of a broader reorganization that will eliminate 414 positions overall, including 130 that are currently vacant.

The move follows a decision by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to create a new County Department of Homeless Services and Housing, effectively shifting responsibilities away from LAHSA and forcing the agency to scale back operations.

“I want to profoundly thank our staff for their unwavering dedication and hard work serving people experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles County,” said Interim CEO Gita O’Neill. “Our staff has been the driving force behind the historic reductions in street homelessness we’ve seen over the past two years.”

O’Neill pointed to what she described as measurable progress under LAHSA’s current structure, including nearly 80,000 people housed over the past three years.

Readers can find additional local coverage on homelessness and housing policy at Los Cerritos Community News homelessness coverage and housing-related stories.

Data released by the agency shows a 14% reduction in street homelessness countywide and an 18% drop within the City of Los Angeles. LAHSA also reported more than 77,000 permanent housing placements between 2022 and 2024, with placements increasing 24% in 2024 compared to 2022.

Still, officials say funding changes tied to the county’s new approach made the restructuring unavoidable.

Amber Sheikh, chair of the LAHSA Commission, said the agency must “right-size” its operations to reflect the evolving system.

“The historic milestones we have achieved are a direct result of the relentless dedication of LAHSA’s workforce, but the changing funding landscape requires us to calibrate our agency for the future,” Sheikh said.

Under the new structure, LAHSA will transition into a more limited role beginning in July 2026, focusing less on direct program oversight and more on regional coordination and data management.

The agency plans to concentrate on operating the Homeless Management Information System, overseeing the Coordinated Entry System, managing the region’s annual homeless count, and administering federal funding competitions.

Its contracting and oversight responsibilities will also be narrowed, primarily serving the City of Los Angeles.

As part of the transition, LAHSA has brought in outside consultants to rebuild its financial systems and strengthen oversight processes.

Officials said the restructuring could still change depending on the City of Los Angeles’ final budget, expected in early June. Some employees receiving notices may ultimately be retained.

The agency said it will comply with required labor agreements, including providing at least 60 days’ notice to affected workers.

Despite the cuts, LAHSA leadership insists the agency will remain a central player in the region’s homelessness response—albeit with a much narrower mission focused on strategy, data, and federal funding coordination.