Street Homelessness Brought Down at Unprecedented Rate, 17% Increase In Unhoused People Moved Inside
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) today announced the results of the 2024 Homeless Point-In-Time Count, which showed a decline in homelessness in the City of Los Angeles for the first time in six years and historic reductions in street homelessness. The 2024 count results saw a 17% increase in the number of people moved off the streets.
Since her first day in office when she declared an unprecedented emergency on the homelessness crisis, Mayor Karen Bass has driven change in how we address homelessness with new initiatives to bring people living in encampments inside. She has also worked to prevent people from losing their homes and to lock arms across all levels of government to move people inside and save lives and restore neighborhoods.
“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,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “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.”
Key results from the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count:
- Homelessness in the City of Los Angeles is down for the first time in six years
- Unprecedented drop in street homelessness (10% decrease in the City of Los Angeles – the first double digit decrease in the last at least 9 years)
- A decrease in makeshift shelters (38% decrease in the City of Los Angeles).
- The number of people who moved into permanent housing is at an all time high.
It had been anticipated that this year’s count of unhoused Angelenos would show an increase in homelessness given the expiration of COVID protections including eviction moratoriums and COVID-era rental assistance. The results today indicate a double-digit decrease in street homelessness change in percentage from last year’s results.
Mayor Bass has taken strong action to confront the homelessness crisis. In addition to her emergency declaration, she issued an executive order that has accelerated affordable housing timelines by 75%; launched Inside Safe, which has cleared some of L.A.’s most entrenched tent and RV encampments in every corner of the city; and launched and unprecedented effort to keep renters from losing their homes.