2 weeks Ago By Josh Haskell
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) CEO Va Lecia Adams Kellum announced her resignation on Friday just days after L.A. County voted to dial back its dependency on LAHSA by creating their own homeless services department.
In an interview with Eyewitness News, Adams Kellum said, "It was clear that many of the areas of work that have been our focus would likely be moving to the county." "It seemed to me clear that it was an appropriate time for me to transition as CEO," she added. Adams Kellum served as CEO for two years, which saw LAHSA experience great change in restructuring data and financial systems.
Homelessness in L.A. County also went down for the first time in years last year, and raw data showed promising results for the 2025 count.
But a series of audits, which included the first year of Adams Kellum's time as CEO, found waste in the city and county's homeless spending with money missing and services not tracked. This is part of the reason why L.A.
County voted to create a new county-run homeless services department with more accountability. Work on the new department is underway and will be completed by July 1, 2026. "I am sad.
It is a somber day for me because I care so much about the people who are hurting outside and hope that we will continue to focus the momentum we started in the last couple of years," said Adams Kellum. "I would have loved more time and I am proud of the work we did." Adams Kellum said she's committed to a seamless handover and will stay on for a 120-day transition period or longer if needed.
"I am incredibly proud of LAHSA's talented and dedicated staff and deeply grateful for their tireless work," Adams Kellum said in a statement. Mayor Karen Bass supported keeping the city and county partnership on homelessness in place and called the county's decision "disappointing." Bass also said she worries the new county department will set progress back -- and the city of L.
A. will have to see how it will respond to the change. LAHSA has seen many leadership changes over the years.
After Mike Arnold served as executive director from 2009 to 2014, Peter Lynn took over as executive director from 2014 to 2019. Then, Heidi Marsten was executive director from 2020 to 2022, followed by Kristina Dixon and Molly Rysman serving as acting co-executive directors in 2022. Then, Stephen David Simon served as interim executive director for one year before Adams Kellum took over in 2023.
.
