Homelessness has been a problem for Los Angeles for many years, with a recent report showing that some 41,000 people in L.A. are experiencing homelessness. It is clear that something needs to change, but there is no consensus regarding what changes should occur.

Currently, the city is working to decrease the rate of homelessness by building housing for people without homes, using $1.2 billion of Proposition HHH's money for this project. The original plan aimed to facilitate the development of nearly 10,000 units, but they have encountered several delays.

An audit report by Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin revealed that the units are much more expensive to build than anticipated. Initial projections gave an estimate of $350,000 per unit. By 2021, the average cost had risen to $596,846 per unit, and at least one project currently in the pre-development phase is expected to cost nearly $837,000 per unit. Meanwhile, a luxury condo in Downtown L.A. equipped with gyms, swimming pools, and 24-hour doorkeepers would cost about the same. 

In 2021, five years after Proposition HHH was first passed, only a small fraction of the promised housing had been built. 

Some believe that the officials in L.A. can find cheaper and quicker ways to build housing. They need to eliminate red tape and the vast number of consultants, which have caused the expenses to skyrocket.

Others feel that housing in L.A. requires time and money, and the cost of fighting homelessness is simply the cost of doing business and promoting growth in the city.

The question up for debate is: Are the expenses of building homeless housing in Los Angeles acceptable?