California, Los Angeles Flags flying outside of Los Angeles City Hall (Photo: Evan Symon for the California Globe)
Los Angeles Homeless Count Falls By 2.2% According To Latest Homeless Count
L.A. County Homeless figures dip by meager 0.27%
By Evan Symon, June 30, 2024 2:45 am
A new study released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Friday found that the number of homeless in the City of Los Angeles fell by 2.2% from last year. The overall number in Los Angeles County went down by 0.27%, with the homeless population falling in the city of L.A. for the first time in six years.
The 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count specifically found that there were and estimated 75,312 homeless people in Los Angeles County, down from 75,518 last year, with a total of 45,252 homeless people in the city of L.A., down from 46,260 in 2023. However, compared to 2022 numbers, the number of homeless in the county and city are still way up, with 69,144 being counted in L.A. County that year, with 42,000 in the city.
Sheltered and unsheltered numbers also showed improvement. The number of unsheltered homeless in L.A. County went down by 5.1% compared to 2023, with the number of unsheltered homeless in the city of L.A. going down by 10.7%. Meanwhile, the county shelter count went up by 12.7%, with the county shelter count increasing by 17.7%.
In a statement, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said of the figures “For so many years, the count has shown increases in homelessness, and we have all felt that in our neighborhoods. But we leaned into change. And we have changed the trajectory of this crisis and have moved L.A. in a new direction. There is nothing we cannot do by taking on the status quo, putting politics aside, and rolling up our sleeves to work together. I want to thank the City Council, the County Board of Supervisors, LAHSA, our state, federal and community partners and our service provider partners for locking arms to confront this crisis with the urgency that it requires. This is not the end, it is the beginning – and we will build on this progress, together.”
The CEO of LAHSA, Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, also added that while the numbers were only slightly down after a year, it nonetheless is encouraging.
“This year’s Homeless Count results give me hope because they show that our unified approach and coordinated efforts have led to meaningful decreases in unsheltered homelessness,” said Kellum. “One year is not enough to say we have turned the corner, but the numbers we are seeing are very encouraging. We must continue to work in collaboration on the life-saving efforts that are contributing to positive results.”
However, homeless experts have said that the number slightly went down this year, not due to any of Mayo Bass’ initiatives, but because of L.A.’s continued recovery post-COVID, and because of private programs stepping up.
“Mayor Bass is trying to convince people that her “locking arms” approach is why the L.A. numbers went slightly down, but it was really by other means,” said Mark Wagner, a Philadelphia-based researcher on homelessness, to the Globe on Friday. “Her Inside Safe program has by and large failed. A lot of this was natural recovery from COVID-19 and the L.A. Housing market adjusting itself after renter protections ended in 2022, causing numbers to swell in 2023, and then things leveling out this year.
“If you want to thank anyone for these lower numbers, thank all the private charities and shelters that stepped up. She mentioned them as “community partners” and things like that, but they had the grunt work and shelter increases. Bass is just now taking credit for natural shifts. That being said, city and county shelters certainly played a part. But again, Bass needs to stop saying it was a team effort.
“LA homeless services also finally figured out that their current strategies under Bass were not working, and went for a more nebulous approach and offering services to wean people off as soon as they got housing and jobs and everything, rather than Bass’ approach of ‘give them housing and hope for the best’.
“And after all this, it was barely an improvement, and like you pointed out, LA is still way worse off from two years ago. It is a start though.”
More on the LAHSA homeless count is expected soon.
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“If you want to thank anyone for these lower numbers, thank all the private charities and shelters that stepped up. She mentioned them as “community partners”. So you let the same organizations that run the program to determine if it has been successful or not. Of course they’re going to show improvement or they will lose their funding.
These numbers are not reliable and never have been, for a number of reasons. Even if earnest counting is attempted, and that’s a big “IF,” which I contend is not happening, the homeless population can’t be reliably found and counted at stable locations. They move around constantly and do their best to hide if they can. The “counters” are unable to “count” accurately, even with best efforts. There are often dangers in tents and tent encampments that cause “counters” to skip areas. Plus LAHSA has a history of cooking the numbers up or down, depending on how they want to manipulate things politically or for money. There are “more” homeless if they want more money, and there are “fewer” homeless if they want to show their pathetic useless non-workable efforts are having an “effect.” And there are likely other reasons and problems that are not always clear. Not sure why anyone, ever, would take these “homeless counts” seriously or as gospel in any way.
Exactly, it is kind of like how the conservative pundits like Armstrong and Getty will hold forth about how bad WashPo or other MSM are complete propaganda but then turn around and still cite them as the Gospel Truth with regards to geopolitical affairs, especially war. Which is it? Are these sources legit or are they not?
No Newsom – Such a good example. Yes.
Sure it did… so let’s say this is true and after it doubling numerous times now it came down a tiny bit after throwing how many more millions and millions of dollars at it?? Bass should be embarrassed but people like her never are.