Examining California’s Homelessness and a Nonprofit’s Spending

Many residents in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other California cities regularly encounter homeless individuals. Observing those struggling with addiction and mental health challenges can be distressing. It’s disappointing to see the number of homeless people rise despite significant taxpayer funding allocated to reduce this issue.

Rising Homelessness in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, the homeless population has increased by over 58% since 2016, according to city data. This raises questions about the efficiency of spending on homelessness.

Where Is The Money Going?

My colleague Audrey McGlinchy recently explored the financial records of nonprofits involved in addressing homelessness. She highlighted the 1736 Family Crisis Center, a nonprofit managing domestic violence shelters and homelessness programs. The center’s CEO, Carol Adelkoff, received $1.6 million over two years, including substantial compensation for unused vacation time.

Uncapped Vacation Pay

Unused vacation pay of over $800,000 is unusual. California law requires employers to compensate for unused vacation, but typically, caps are instituted. Adelkoff’s situation is an exception. Although nonprofits aren’t required to cap vacation accrual, it’s uncommon not to have limits.

“It’s actually extremely rare for a nonprofit, and frankly any company, not to cap vacation accrual,” McGlinchy noted.

Adelkoff suggested that accepting the payout helped the organization address a mounting liability. However, there was no explanation for allowing such accruals initially.

Lack of Transparency

Efforts to view board meeting minutes linked to this compensation were blocked by the nonprofit, despite receiving most of its revenue from taxpayer funds. The center’s lawyer explained that Adelkoff’s responsibilities prohibited vacation.

Adelkoff’s Residence

Further investigation revealed that Adelkoff lived in Hawaii, which raises questions about her oversight of Los Angeles facilities. Due to the nature of the organization’s work, Adelkoff declined to disclose her residence details.

Related Issues

Additional topics covered include potential ticket price increases at the L.A. Zoo and issues facing LAUSD. State officials are also confronting federal decisions impacting coastal oversight.

Local economic and legal developments include income growth in Orange County and a Shasta County measure affecting mail-in voting. Also, Google’s Sergey Brin is investing over $100 million in efforts against California’s wealth tax.

Editorial Perspectives

Columnist Michael Hiltzik expressed concerns about child vaccine mandates. Guest writer Aditi Hariharan discussed the implications of SAT scores on diversity in UC schools.

For those interested in dining, a new restaurant at the Lucas Museum and diverse poke offerings are attractions in Los Angeles.