LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell provided the following statement on the LA Times article regarding allegations of fraud in LA County sex abuse settlements:

“Allegations of sexual assault are extremely serious and should be treated as such. I believe that victims of sexual abuse are entitled to and should receive all the support they need, both financial and emotional support. When the settlement came to the Board, I pushed County Counsel to do our full due diligence, to the best of our abilities, in verifying names of plaintiffs before the settlement agreement. But there is NO excuse for predatory consumer attorneys who targeted vulnerable South LA residents. It is clear that their strategy was to prey on individuals based on race and class. Something must be done to address their behavior.”

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell provided the following statement regarding today’s vote to ensure the Care First Community Investment (CFCI) Advisory Committee – which was created with the passage of Measure J – can meaningfully provide input on potentially diverting $10 million of its funding for community-led justice reforms towards rent relief:

“I believe we can establish a rent relief program without pitting the compounding needs of our communities against each other. It is possible to keep Care First Community Investment (CFCI) funding that voters overwhelming supported being allocated with the passage of Measure J towards community-led justice reforms and to identify the appropriate source of sustainable long-term funding for rent relief – which I have always supported. The Board supported a motion I co-authored in 2023 to provide rent relief that distributed over $81 million in funding.

I agree with the ongoing need and urgency for rent relief – an issue that affects far too many communities across the County. The path we take to achieve sustainable rent relief matters. Unfortunately, the motion presented today diverted funds in a way that bypasses the necessary input from the CFCI advisory committee, undermining the participatory process that Measure J was designed to uphold.

This is not the time to bulldoze through without strategic and intentional discourse, collaboration, and factoring in current budget decisions. I voted in support of the amendment to bring this motion back to the Board in two-weeks to allow for the CFCI Advisory Committee to have the opportunity to weigh-in in a meaningful way along with the public via our cluster process. I look forward to continuing to work together with advocates, residents, and our County departments to identify sustainable funding for rent relief without side-stepping the need for co-governance on this critical issue.”

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell provided the following statement on the passing of the honorable Nate Holden:

“We have lost a champion for civil rights, economic justice, and an equitable Los Angeles with the passing of the Honorable Nate Holden. He led with courage, carrying the spirit of his younger days as a boxer into the political arena – using policy and rhetoric to fight discrimination, challenge police misconduct, and demand accountability in public service. I, along with so many others, stand on his shoulders. Rest in power, Mr. Holden, and thank you for your enduring impact and service.”

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell provided the following statement in response to the County’s Chief Executive Office request to allow County departments to hire outside workers in the event of a labor strike.

“I support our labor unions and their members who are vital to the County’s ability to deliver services to millions of residents. The goal is to do all we can to avoid a strike and to be prepared to preserve the core functions of the County to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of our residents in the event that union members decide a strike is necessary, which I fully respect. The County has a responsibility to stay at the negotiation table and to not leave our communities more vulnerable if a strike does happen. If someone comes to our hospitals with a medical emergency or calls our Fire Department in crisis, we must ensure continuity in the care and support our residents rely on and deserve.”

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell provided the following statement on her abstention on the motion to Implement Recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness Report that passed today by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in a 4-0 vote:

“I abstained from voting on the motion to create a new County Homeless Department, which is expected to cost the County $1 billion in funding and move over 200 positions from LAHSA due to a lack of key details that are critical for distinguishing why this new department will be more effective and not just a reshuffling of resources and people without improved outcomes for our residents experiencing homelessness.

We have a responsibility to continuously evaluate and adjust the strategies we are using to solve the moral and economic crisis that is homelessness. The motion voted on today presented a rushed timeline that didn’t provide clear metrics or deadlines for when the public will be able to track the new department’s progress.

To help address this, I presented an amendment to include defined benchmarks for success such as tracking and sharing the time it takes for people to be sheltered and permanently housed and extending the start date from July 1 of this year to October 1 to allow three additional months for authentic stakeholder engagement to help inform how the new department will be formed by people directly tied to its success. The amendments were not accepted, leaving no way for me to support the motion without a clear plan for how these sweeping changes will create a visible and lasting impact in keeping our fellow residents off the streets and housed with the supportive services that meet their needs.

The authors of the motion, the County’s Chief Executive Officer, along with the leadership of the County’s Homeless Initiative and Housing for Health teams assured the Board and the public today that no service interruption would occur during or post the transition to creating this new department, and that the establishment of the new department would be cost neutral. I will be closely monitoring and expecting public reports on the status of this commitment for the residents of the 2nd District.

We have reached an inflection point with the passage of Measure A. For the first time, thanks to the residents of LA County, we now have a sustainable source of funding for addressing homelessness. We owe it to every person experiencing homelessness and the concerned residents who want to see their neighborhoods restored to their intended use to set clear benchmarks for accountability and transparency on how every cent is used. Rushing to create a new department without a clear plan for how we will define success as a County shows that we can move fast, but it doesn’t mean we are being more effective.”