A federal judge has selected an auditor to conduct what could be the most comprehensive picture of Los Angeles’ response to homelessness in years.
The decision was made on Monday, according to court transcripts.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter tasked Alvarez & Marsal with the audit. The probe is the result of an ongoing, years-long lawsuit filed by a downtown business group, the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, against the city and county over its lack of progress on addressing homelessness.
The firm was picked after two other potential auditors, CliftLarsonAllen (CLA) and Horne LLP, gave presentations in a downtown courtroom last Thursday.
Scott Marcus, an attorney for the city, said in Friday’s hearing that he was given additional information that made Horne LLP “less desirable to the court” and that he didn’t think CLA “was capable of performing the audit” they had in mind, according to court transcripts.
Judge Picks Auditor To Assess Homeless Services in LA
What do we know about the firm?
Alvarez & Marsal is a consulting firm with about 9,000 employees and dozens of offices around the world, including in L.A.’s Westchester neighborhood.
David McCurley, a Texas-based managing director who leads the firm’s state and local government practice, said in Thursday’s hearing that Alvarez & Marsal will bring their expertise in government efficiency, health and human services, and forensic accounting to the audit.
“We know that the effective populations that we’re going to be dealing with,…
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