Officials connected to homeless programs in the city of Los
Angeles are under public scrutiny following allegations of embezzlement and
conflicts of interest involving top management at the Los Angeles Homeless
Services Authority (LAHSA).
At the center of the controversy is Va Lecia Adams Kellum,
LAHSA's executive director, who earns an annual salary of approximately
$430,000. According to the allegations, Adams Kellum authorized
multimillion-dollar contracts for a nonprofit organization closely linked to
her husband.
According to contracting documents cited in the allegations,
Adams Kellum signed a $2.1 million contract, along with two additional contract
amendments, with Upward Bound House, a Santa Monica-based nonprofit
organization. Her husband, Edward Kellum, works at the organization, holding a
senior management position as Director of Operations and Compliance.
Critics argue that these agreements could represent a conflict
of interest, as they involve public funds intended for homeless services being
channeled to an entity where a direct relative of the executive director holds
a high-level position.
To date, the allegations have prompted calls for a formal
and transparent investigation, while civic organizations and taxpayers are
demanding accountability regarding the use of resources allocated to one of the
city's most pressing social problems.
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