California officials say the federal government is reneging on hundreds of millions of dollars that cities and counties were counting on to cover the costs of sheltering thousands of vulnerable homeless people in hotel rooms during the pandemic. Local governments across the state are now left scrambling to make up the funding gap at a time when their budgets are already stretched thin. In an October letter to the state officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency explained it would only reimburse hotel stays of up to 20 days between June 11, 2021, and May 11, 2023. Leased rooms that were…