Nardello & Co. report details copper theft and flooding in LA housing
A building has experienced what she called “large-scale intrusion events.” In other words, intruders overran the building to steal copper pipes. Los Angeles homeless housing projects face operational disruptions, including copper theft, flooding, and vacancy rates, according to a federal court-filed report from investigations firm Nardello & Co.
Federal Court Filing Details Vandalism and Flooding in Housing Projects
The report filed Wednesday in federal court provides on-the-ground details regarding the condition of subsidized housing projects across Los Angeles. A 225-unit building operated with 83 vacancies after move-ins were paused for remediation work following multiple intrusions. One recent incident involved a resident’s guest attempting to steal copper wire from the water system, which impacted more than 20 units and several common areas.
Another project operated under a master lease by Los Angeles County reported only 102 occupants out of 169 available beds. The manager cited water damage, elevator outages, and the theft of copper wiring as primary drivers of the low occupancy rate. During the site visit, that same manager was handling the transfer of 51 residents fleeing another location because of active flooding.
Nardello & Co. documented site visits to dozens of shelters and permanent housing facilities. At more than half of these locations, on-site staff declined to answer questions or permit investigator access.
Judge Carter Monitors 2022 Homelessness Settlement
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter appointed Nardello & Co. in May following a legal dispute between the city of Los Angeles and the L.A. The business and property owner group had sued the city and county over failures to adequately address homelessness.
The 2022 settlement required the city to build thousands of shelter and housing beds while clearing nearly 10,000 encampments. Lawyers representing the L.A. Alliance repeatedly asserted that city officials obscured data regarding compliance. While denying a 2025 motion to place homeless programs into receivership, Judge Carter ordered an independent data review, prompting the current Nardello & Co. monitoring process.
Fragmented Reporting Systems Hinder Data Verification
The Nardello & Co. report focuses heavily on the tracking methods used by city, county, and housing agencies to report interim and permanent housing placements. Investigators found a fragmented reporting environment relying on multiple databases, self-reported metrics, manual data transfers, and decentralized practices.
The investigators stated they could not verify the accuracy of numbers submitted to the court because privacy regulations blocked access to underlying data systems. Reporting originates from several distinct entities using separate technology platforms, including the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the Los Angeles Housing Department, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and the mayor’s office.
The Housing Authority released a statement indicating it welcomes continued partnership with the city to explore responsible ways to improve data-sharing and coordination while strictly adhering to federal, state, and local privacy laws. Mayor Karen Bass’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Different bureaus within these agencies manage separate housing initiatives using disconnected tools. A senior director for Mayor Bass informed interviewers that the Inside Safe program tracks occupancy through an internal Google spreadsheet rather than connecting to the Homeless Management Information System, which serves as the countywide database for street contacts and housing placements.