LAHSA to immediately review policies following CBS 2 investigation
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority said it will make every effort to distribute and donate food after a CBS 2 investigation captured outreach workers trashing food meant for the unhoused.
The agency has been criticized recently after CBS 2 Investigates and investigative reporter David Goldstein caught LAHSA outreach workers repeatedly throwing away cases of county-funded food that was supposed to go to the homeless.
"I don't know if there's much of a greater sin than throwing good food away especially when people are hungry," said Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin on May 31.
Galperin conducted a scathing audit on LAHSA in 2019 and found that outreach workers failed to meet seven out of nine goals. The same classification of workers that was caught trashing food and spending their days walking in the park, Targets, Starbucks and McDonald's all while passing dozens of homeless along the way.
"Major reform is necessary not just to deal with food but to deal with all of the failures that we've seen from LAHSA," said Galperin.
Many other leaders, including Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, were appalled when they saw the footage.
"I was outraged when I saw your piece," he said to CBSLA's Goldstein.
"Here, there's food, and it's being thrown in the trash? That's what appeared to be the case from watching your report. That's outrageous to me."
LAHSA admitted it throws away food because it's perishable but after Feuer sent a letter to the agency it said it will make every effort to distribute and donate food. It will also implement ongoing training to try and make sure it won't happen in the future.
