Los Angeles has experienced an increase in homelessness following years of progress, according to the latest point-in-time count, reversing a historic decline reported in previous years. The annual tally, conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), will be publicly released on Friday, but preliminary figures indicate a rise in both overall and unsheltered homelessness within the city.
Mayor Karen Bass had previously highlighted a 17.5% reduction in unsheltered homelessness over the past two years, framing it as meaningful progress in a city long challenged by a growing homeless population. Since taking office in December 2022, Bass has championed Inside Safe, a program that has moved more than 6,000 individuals into temporary housing such as hotels and motels. However, LAHSA data collected separately from this year’s count show that 41% of those placed in interim housing by May 31 had returned to homelessness.
The reversal comes amid a complex backdrop for Bass, who is facing a mayoral reelection campaign challenged by ongoing political and public pressures. City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who chairs the council’s housing and homelessness committee, is also a mayoral candidate but declined to comment on the new numbers. Political analysts note that the uptick in homelessness undermines Bass’s reelection narrative and her administration’s claims of success in addressing the crisis.
The rise in homelessness is not uniform across Los Angeles County. While the city itself saw increases, the broader "continuum of care" region—which includes 85 of the county’s 88 cities excluding Long Beach, Pasadena, and Glendale—experienced a 1.2% rise in overall homelessness and a 3.5% increase in unsheltered cases.
LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath emphasized that the count is just one indicator among many. "People experiencing homelessness—and the communities impacted by this crisis—care less about esoteric debates over the numbers," Horvath said. She urged focus on housing placements, access to necessary care, and responsible use of tax funds to better address the crisis.
LAHSA itself has faced mounting challenges, including political and financial pressures. The agency was recently suspended by the federal government from seeking or receiving funding for homelessness programs, a decision the agency is contesting in court with a hearing scheduled for August 6. In addition, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors last year reallocated hundreds of millions of dollars from LAHSA to a newly created county-run homelessness agency citing concerns over transparency and accountability. City officials have considered a similar move but have yet to take formal action.
Mayor Bass, who serves on LAHSA’s board, has called for reform. “The city must build something better—results-driven, transparent and centered around the people we’re trying to help, not the bureaucracy,” she said, acknowledging the need to improve efforts as homelessness numbers increase amid ongoing community distress.