A newly hired executive brought on to lead all homelessness programs at L.A.’s homeless services agency has exited after less than two weeks on the job.
Lilly Simmering was no longer working at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) effective Friday, according to Paul Rubenstein, a spokesperson for the agency.
Simmering joined LAHSA as chief program officer on Nov. 12 after departing as Orange County’s deputy CEO in September .
Her exit from the agency came three days after Lindsey Horvath, chair of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, told LAist she had raised concerns to LAHSA’s CEO about the decision to hire Simmering.
Before her brief time at LAHSA, Simmering oversaw a county government department in Orange County that paid out millions of taxpayer dollars to an out-of-compliance nonprofit now embroiled in a fraud scandal involving former O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do .
Simmering’s departure also falls in the midst of increasing pressure on LAHSA, as the agency is embroiled in a high-profile legal battle and fallout from an audit released last week that found serious accounting problems.