Los Angeles

2023 Homeless Count shows a 9% rise in people experiencing homelessness in LA County

LAHSA study reported that 75,518 people in the county were homeless

A homeless encampment on Arcadia St. in Los Angeles.
Getty

What to Know

  • The number of people experiencing homeless has increased 9% in the Los Angeles County and 10% in the city from 2022
  • LAHSA added new resources to improve this year's count
  • The count is to determine the allocation of funds, measure the progress or setbacks in a community’s current programming, and provide the county with more information about the housing crisis

The number of people experiencing homeless has increased over the past year, according to an annual report from the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority that offers more insight into one of the region's most vexing problems.

The data show a 9% increase in the county and a 10% increase in the city from 2022.

“The homeless count results tell us what we already know — that we have a crisis on our streets, and it’s getting worse,” Chief Executive Officer of the LAHSA Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum said.

For three days and nights in late January, thousands of volunteers in teams of four fan out across the city to count people living in tents, vehicles and temporary shelters.

The count provides a point-in-time tally of people experiencing homelessness in LA County. This year 75,518 people were counted, compared to 69,144 in 2022

The data gathered from the count are used to determine the allocation of funds, measure the progress or setbacks in a community’s current programming, and provide the county with more information about the housing crisis. 

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn called the results “disappointing" in a statement.

“It is frustrating to have more people fall into homelessness even as we are investing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars and resources into efforts to bring people inside. I appreciate the cities that have stepped up and supported solutions, but these numbers prove that solutions-oriented cities are too few and far between,” she said.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 26, 2023:  Unhoused Billy Jones speaks with volunteer Ari Hamilton while Hamilton is canvassing the Echo Park neighborhood during the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count on January 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Jones has been living on the streets since 2019.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 26, 2023: Unhoused Billy Jones speaks with volunteer Ari Hamilton while Hamilton is canvassing the Echo Park neighborhood during the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count on January 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Jones has been living on the streets since 2019.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Hope in the numbers

Though there were apparent increases in the number of people experiencing homelessness, LAHSA data also show that some programming has helped aspects of the housing crisis.

There has been a decrease in the amount of time it takes for someone to move from being homeless to having interim housing, and young adults aged 18 to 24 who are homeless are being connected with interim housing more frequently

A recent statewide study of homelessness from UC San Francisco’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative has shed light on the root causes of the housing crisis, such as the high cost of living,  the lack of transition services while leaving institutions such as prison, a deficit in affordable housing and systemic racism.

The authors of the study hope that this information will better inform future policy decisions. 

Changes to this year’s count

The count is far from perfect, and some critics say that it may be a serious underrepresentation of the true problem.

This year, LAHSA improved its system of collecting data by using a new app for volunteers to track their data. The agency simplified its volunteer training and made it more accessible by offering it both online and in person.

LAHSA also took more accountability measures, and hired a demographer and data scientists to better analyze its findings. 

A homeless person sits with their belongings on the street in Los Angeles, California, on December 6, 2022. - A state of emergency over spiralling levels of homelessness was declared in Los Angeles December 12,2022 as the new mayor Karen Bass pledged a "seismic shift" for America's second biggest city. Tens of thousands of people sleep rough on Los Angeles' streets, in an epidemic that shocks many visitors to one of the wealthiest urban areas on the planet.
Mayor Karen Bass, who was sworn into office Sunday, used her first full day in office to declare a state of emergency. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
A person experiencing homelessness sits with their belongings on the street in Los Angeles, California, on December 6, 2022. Credit: Getty

Point-in-Time Count

The count of people experiencing homelessness in LA County is the biggest homeless census count in the country. 

“The Count is an opportunity to reflect on the life-saving impact of our collective investments, the challenges we continue to tackle together, and the humanity of the homelessness crisis,” Interim Executive Director of LAHSA Stephen David Simon said in January. 

LAHSA does the count with guidance from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the help of thousands of volunteers.

“The data gathered in January represents the crisis our city faces. The challenge before us is vast but we will continue to work with urgency to bring Angelenos inside,” Mayor Keren Bass said. “We must sustain our momentum by locking arms with leaders at every level of government as we confront this crisis as the emergency that it is. Lives depend on it.”

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