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Over 3 years, homeless nonprofit paid more than $1.7 million to companies owned by its chief executive
Summary by The Los Angeles Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Andrew Khouri, Alene Tchekmedyian , Los Angeles Times - California
· July 22, 2026
· 1 min read
Over three years, the homeless housing nonprofit A Step to Freedom paid more than $1.7 million to two companies owned by its chief executive, according to a Times review of public and internal records.
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The Los Angeles Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Original reporting Andrew Khouri, Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times - California Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 22, 2026 Indexed here Jul 22, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway 7 million to two companies owned by its chief executive, according to a Times review of public and internal records.
Why this matters in The Los Angeles
The revelation that A Step to Freedom paid over $1.7 million to companies owned by its chief executive raises questions about the organization's financial management and potential conflicts of interest. This situation may have implications for the broader nonprofit sector in Los Angeles, where organizations rely on public trust and funding to provide essential services to vulnerable populations, including the homeless. The city's efforts to address homelessness, a longstanding and complex issue, depend on the integrity and accountability of organizations like A Step to Freedom. As the city continues to allocate resources to combat homelessness, it will be crucial to monitor how nonprofits manage their finances and ensure that funds are being used effectively to support those in need. The Los Angeles community will likely be watching closely to see how A Step to Freedom responds to these findings and whether the organization takes steps to increase transparency and accountability.
About this story
Original reporting by Los Angeles Times - California . The Los Angeles surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit Los Angeles Times - California . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: local ·
Published: July 22, 2026 ·
Source: Los Angeles Times - California ·
Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Over three years, the homeless housing nonprofit A Step to Freedom paid more than $1.7 million to two companies owned by its chief executive, according to a Times review of public and internal records.
When was this published? This article was first published on July 22, 2026 by Los Angeles Times - California and curated for The Los Angeles readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Andrew Khouri, Alene Tchekmedyian at Los Angeles Times - California. To learn more about how The Los Angeles selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The Los Angeles, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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