On Tuesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke in Los Angeles, criticizing the city’s homeless support system as a failure funded by taxpayers. He warned that the Trump administration might halt federal funding for programs designed to help the homeless.
“We cannot solve homelessness by funding systems that perpetuate homelessness,” he stated at the LA Dream Center.
His proposal emphasized the importance of funding initiatives that actually assist people in transitioning off the streets, focusing on treatment and self-sufficiency.
Kennedy was clear, saying that if programs were ineffective, evidenced by metrics showing continued homelessness rather than addressing addiction, federal funds would be cut off immediately.
He did not hold back in his criticism of former Health Department Secretary Xavier Becerra, accusing him of creating conditions ripe for abuse and fraud by dismantling crucial oversight systems.
Kennedy claimed that Becerra had reduced the oversight staff responsible for monitoring HHS’s massive budget, which he termed, “an invitation for fraudsters to come in and steal everything.”
The absence of strong oversight led to significant cases of fraud in Los Angeles, involving billions being billed for services that were either inflated or fabricated, according to Kennedy. He pointedly accused Becerra of turning a blind eye as these issues proliferated.
At the press conference, the Secretary of Health and Human Services said that the Trump administration aimed to disrupt the established approach toward homelessness.
“We are going to completely stop the traditional way of treating homelessness as a permanent industry,” he declared, standing alongside Housing Secretary Scott Turner as they discussed the potential withdrawal of around $240 million in federal funding from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).
Turner emphasized that the administration would not grant new funding until LAHSA could be held accountable for its actions.
As part of this new approach, they had temporarily halted LAHSA from submitting applications for federal funding, directing service providers to submit directly to the federal government instead.
LAHSA is currently disputing this suspension in court.
Moreover, the administration is aiming to shift from a “housing first” strategy—which provides permanent housing without treatment requirements—to a more transitional housing model that prioritizes recovery.
Kennedy and Turner used the L.A. Dream Center, a converted hospital now focused on recovery, as an example of what they hope to promote with federal support.
Turner shared that brown lunch bags filled with what he described as drug paraphernalia were being distributed to the homeless, likely funded by taxpayer dollars. “This is the kind of strategy being used, and it’s simply not working,” he said.
He also pointed to a federal indictment that accused one homeless service provider of fraudulently billing the government for $23 million.
However, the road ahead is complicated by a legal challenge. A federal judge in Rhode Island has temporarily blocked HUD’s funding proposals due to procedural issues, putting a hold on recent funding changes.
