In an announcement that signifies a significant shift in its fight against homelessness, Los Angeles has reported a decrease in homelessness for the second year in a row. The 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count indicated a 4% reduction in homelessness across the county to 72,308 individuals and a 3.4% drop in the City of Los Angeles, now counting 43,699 people as homeless. This notable trend suggests that the combined efforts of the city and county may be gaining steady traction. "When I first came to LAHSA, I said we’d reduce unsheltered homelessness in three years. We did it in one and cemented it in two," said LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum in a statement obtained by LAHSA.
Homelessness, which reached a peak in 2023, has been a pressing issue in the region with various factors, including the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating the situation. However, coordinated efforts like the Inside Safe and Pathway Home programs, aimed to rapidly to bring people into interim housing, appear to be paying off with LAHSA reporting an 8.5% increase in sheltered homelessness in the county. According to Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn's statement obtained by LA County, these results are "encouraging" and underline the success of the strategy to "bring people inside by clearing encampments".
Mayor Karen Bass, who has been a key figure in steering the city's homelessness policy, underscored the need for urgency and a break from the “broken status quo” of waiting for permanent housing solutions. "Homelessness has gone down two years in a row because we chose to act with urgency and reject the broken status quo of leaving people on the street until housing was built," Mayor Bass told FOX LA. Her administration's efforts have culminated in the largest decrease over two years since the Point in Time Count began in 2005, with street homelessness reduced by 17.5%.
Despite the positive trajectory, the region is aware that this is just one step in a longer journey towards resolving its homelessness crisis. More than 60,000 people accessed homeless services for the first time in 2024, highlighting the need for sustained action. Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum emphasized the momentum must be maintained, telling LAHSA, "As we move forward into a new era of homeless services, I urge both the City and the County to continue to stay aligned and coordinate with each other.". Funding from Measure A and the creation of the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) are deemed vital for ongoing efforts.
The results are more than statistical victories; they represent a material change in the lives of thousands of individuals who have been able to find shelter. This is paired with an all-time high of permanent housing placements in the city, reaching nearly 27,994 in 2024, as reported by the Mayor's Office.
