Mayor Karen Bass missed 13 of 21 meetings of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission over the past year, enough to trigger potential removal under the agency's own bylaws, according to a LAist review of public records published Aug. 24.

The report landed four days after Bass attacked her November opponent, Councilmember Nithya Raman, for missing work. "I believe you have missed several thousand votes because you don't show up to work," Bass told Raman at the Aug. 20 mayoral debate in Sherman Oaks, as reported by LAmag.

Bass was the first Los Angeles mayor to appoint herself to the LAHSA Commission, which she did in late 2023. Since then, she has been absent from 25 of 47 total meetings. The commission oversees nearly $500 million in annual spending on shelters and homeless services. The city provides 73% of LAHSA's regional budget.

Under LAHSA's bylaws, commissioners absent four times in a year may be subject to removal, and the official who appointed them must be notified of the vacancy. Because Bass appointed herself, that notification would go to her own office. LAHSA communications director Ahmad Chapman said the agency has not notified Bass or any other commissioner about attendance, saying the commission has consistently achieved a quorum.

Bass also served on LAHSA's audit committee for several months until January. She did not attend a single audit committee meeting, recording five straight absences before being replaced.

Mayor's Office spokesperson Ilanna Morales said Bass's presence on the commission was unprecedented and that she joined to make key decisions on issues affecting the city. Morales did not address the specific attendance numbers.

LAHSA Commissioner Justin Szlasa told LAist the absences matter beyond quorum math, saying commissioners need to track issues as they unfold and participate in deliberation. Without consistent attendance, he said, that work cannot happen.

Commissioner Wendy Greuel, whom Bass reappointed to the board, defended the mayor, calling her engagement on homelessness greater than any mayor Greuel has served with.

Bass's self-appointed three-year term expired June 30. Both LAHSA and the mayor's office said she remains a member but did not confirm whether she formally reappointed herself.

The attendance record adds a sharp edge to the mayoral race. At the same Aug. 20 debate, Raman explained her own council absences by citing conflicts with external board appointments, some made by Bass herself. Bass told Raman that other council members have outside appointments too, but still find their way to work.

Street homelessness in Los Angeles rose 8% in the 2026 annual count after two years of declines. In June, the Trump administration suspended LAHSA from federal grant activity, citing financial mismanagement; a judge paused the suspension and a trial is set for April 2027.

The next LAHSA Commission meeting is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 28, at 9 a.m. at 637 Wilshire Blvd. A livestream will also be available.