LA Councilmember Curren Price, Facing 12 Felony Corruption Charges, Approved Urban Alchemy Homeless Village Contract

Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price, who is currently facing 12 felony public corruption charges, facilitated a no-cost sublease agreement for Urban Alchemy to operate a Safe Sleeping Village at the historic Lincoln Theatre parcel located at 2300 South Central Avenue. This development, highlighted in a recent tweet by Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles, draws attention to the ongoing legal challenges confronting the long-serving councilmember.

The agreement, formalized through a motion by Councilmember Price, allows Urban Alchemy to establish and manage the Safe Sleeping Village. City documents reveal that this initiative received a funding allocation of $3,048,500 for operations, including start-up costs and necessary equipment, covering the period from August 2021 through June 2022. Urban Alchemy's official website confirms its role in operating safe sleep villages across South Los Angeles, among other locations.

Councilmember Price was initially charged in June 2023 with five felony counts of embezzlement of government funds, three felony counts of perjury, and two felony counts of conflict of interest. These charges stemmed from allegations that his wife's consulting firm received payments from developers while Price voted on related projects, and that he improperly used city funds for his wife's medical benefits. Price has consistently pleaded not guilty to these accusations.

In August 2025, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed two additional conflict-of-interest charges against Price, bringing the total to 12 felony counts. Prosecutors allege that his wife's firm received over $800,000 from the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and LA Metro. These payments reportedly occurred while Price voted to award multimillion-dollar contracts to these agencies, with his staff allegedly flagging the conflicts prior to the votes.

Price's legal team has characterized the new charges as "nothing more than an attempt to pile on to a weak case," asserting that there is no evidence Price was aware of the alleged conflicts when he cast his votes. If convicted on all charges, Price could face a maximum sentence of 11 years and four months in custody. The situation underscores ongoing scrutiny of public officials in Los Angeles.