Opinion: Katie Hill appointment to L.A. County housing board is a double standard

Recently, former U.S. Congresswoman Katie Hill, from the Antelope Valley, was appointed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who represents the Eastside and San Gabriel Valley, to serve on the board of the L.A. County Housing Services Authority (LAHSA), the joint powers authority of the city and county of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address the problem of homelessness in Los Angeles County.

It seems Hill deserves a second chance after resigning from Congress, while others do not.

She resigned from Congress in 2019 after photos revealed an extramarital affair with her campaign manager. In a leaked image, Hill is nude, holding a marijuana bong. The photo also displayed a small Nazi-era iron cross tattoo on her right hip. At the time, Washington rumors surfaced that for Hill to remain in office, the Congressional Black Caucus wanted her to explain herself. Out of respect for Hill, I will not include the picture. 

Hill resigned under pressure and took a pause from public life, until this appointment to LAHSA. 

LAHSA has recently been under scrutiny by an L.A. county audit that revealed mismanagement, poor oversight and millions in late repayment of county advances to service providers. 

One contractor, PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) is the entity Hill served as deputy chief executive officer/executive director. 

If we take a closer look, PATH has had a series of scandals, including staff arrested in charge with embezzlement as well as paying its own field staff poverty wages with many of them qualifying for the services they were offering. PATH was also reported to have 340 vacancies out of 1100 positions.

PATH receives millions in government contracts, but are they meeting their goals and benchmarks? A recent state audit suggests otherwise. Meanwhile, top executives at PATH earn high six-figure salaries, while some field staff are paid poverty wages. Take a closer look at the number of executives receiving these high six-figure salaries below. According to PATH's tax filings, up to 40% of taxpayer funding allocated to the organization is spent on staff salaries rather than directly on homeless services.

Hill most recently ran Pasadena’s Union Station Homeless Services, a homeless service provider. But Union Station was criticized for allowing violent mentally ill homeless people to basically live inside the facility, where several janitors reported being physically assaulted. One female janitor was severely beaten and hospitalized by a mentally ill homeless person who attacked her while she was cleaning a bathroom.

Most importantly, PATH simply does not have a record of success in helping clients gain permanent housing and has questionable use of funds, as per a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development audit.

This all points to the argument that Hill is unqualified for the role. 

Furthermore, when it comes to the claims about her alleged Nazi ties, we see a glaring double standard.

Two L.A. politicians and the head of the L.A. Federation of Labor were condemned for failing to call out ignorant racism—something many of us have been guilty of at some point. Yet, Hill faces no accountability for her iron cross tattoo. Why not ask her directly if she was ever a Nazi sympathizer? Hill has reportedly explained it as a loose connection to a white street gang during her youth. Fair enough, but let’s hear more. When and how did she distance herself from that past?

The final question I have is whether Solis was unable to identify a passionate and dedicated Latina or Asian professional—such as a social worker, therapist, or psychologist—from within our community to appoint. Does the Board of Supervisors truly serve the public, or are they prioritizing government contractors instead?

The phenomenon of white liberals failing upwards is truly astonishing. Take Mike Bonin, for example, who aligned with the L.A. Times and Buffalo Soldiers to plead for forgiveness for convicted felon Mark Ridley-Thomas, while figures like Kevin de León, Gil Cedillo, Ron Herrera and Nury Martinez have all been ousted.

Meanwhile, Katie Hill faces no scrutiny over her controversial Nazi tattoo. Pobrecita. But don’t worry—she’ll surely solve the homelessness crisis soon enough. After all, she has one key advantage: the power of white liberal privilege.