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Tanisha Saunders / Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority / Commission Appointment

Council File 23-1200-S69

Introduced
2023-03-21
Last changed
2026-05-21
Status
open
Expires
2028-05-20
Committee
Housing and Homelessness Committee
Initiated by
Mayor

Brief

The Mayor nominated Tanisha Saunders for appointment and later reappointment to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission. Her initial appointment for the term ending June 30, 2023, was approved by the Housing and Homelessness Committee and adopted by Council on May 3, 2023 (11-0-4). A reappointment for the term ending June 30, 2026, followed the same path and was adopted by Council on August 30, 2023 (11-0-4). A new reappointment document was submitted by the Mayor on May 20, 2026, and referred to the Housing and Homelessness Committee, where it currently sits.

Full summary

This file tracks the appointment and successive reappointments of Tanisha Saunders to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission. LAHSA is the county's coordinating body for homeless services policy and planning, and commission members are nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The initial appointment was introduced by the Mayor on March 21, 2023, for a term ending June 30, 2023. The Housing and Homelessness Committee approved it on April 19, 2023, and the full Council adopted it on May 3, 2023, with an 11-0-4 vote. A reappointment for the term ending June 30, 2026, was submitted by the Mayor on July 25, 2023, approved by committee on August 16, 2023, and adopted by the Council on August 30, 2023, also 11-0-4. On May 20, 2026, Mayor Karen Bass submitted a third reappointment, this time for a term running through June 30, 2029. The nomination has been referred to the Housing and Homelessness Committee and awaits a hearing and council vote. Saunders works as a Resident Manager at Venice Community Housing, where she focuses on affordable housing retention and tenant services. Her background includes prior work as a Resident Coordinator at Safe Place for Youth, a transitional housing program for youth experiencing homelessness, and a Policy and Legislative Affairs Fellowship at LAHSA itself, where she contributed to the agency's landmark Ad Hoc Committee report on Black people experiencing homelessness. She holds a B.S. in Child Development from California State University, Dominguez Hills and resides in the West LA neighborhood within Council District 11. Saunders is one of five commissioners listed in the current LAHSA Commission roster. Her reappointment would extend her service on a body that oversees one of the city's most prominent and politically scrutinized policy areas. The file expires on May 20, 2028, and the nomination is pending before the Housing and Homelessness Committee, chaired by Councilmember Nithya Raman.

Activity (16)

  • 2026-05-21 Mayor document(s) referred to Housing and Homelessness Committee.
  • 2026-05-20 Document submitted by Mayor, dated May 20, 2026.
  • 2023-09-01 Council action final.
  • 2023-08-30 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2023-08-25 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 30, 2023.
  • 2023-08-16 Housing and Homelessness Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2023-08-11 Housing and Homelessness Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 16, 2023.
  • 2023-07-25 Mayor document(s) referred to Housing and Homelessness Committee.
  • 2023-07-25 Document(s) submitted by Mayor, as follows:Mayor report dated, July 25, 2023, relative to the reappointment of Tanisha Saunders to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission for the term ending June 30, 2026.
  • 2023-05-05 Council action final.
  • 2023-05-03 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2023-04-28 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on May 3, 2023.
  • 2023-04-19 Housing and Homelessness Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2023-04-14 Housing and Homelessness Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on April 19, 2023.
  • 2023-03-22 Mayor document(s) referred to Housing and Homelessness Committee.
  • 2023-03-21 Document(s) submitted by Mayor, as follows:Mayor report, dated March 21, 2023, relative to the appointment of Ms. Tanisha Saunders to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority for the term ending June 30, 2023.

Documents (20)

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