The Brief

Thousands of volunteers will spread out across Los Angeles this week to take an official tally of the region’s unhoused population — an effort that carries new urgency after the recent wildfires.

The point-in-time Homeless Count, led by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, was originally scheduled for last month but was delayed due to the wildfires that tore through Los Angeles County. The annual event is a crucial metric for understanding the scope of L.A.'s homelessness crisis and the effectiveness of local policies.

But the fires this year have made the effort more complicated by displacing thousands of residents, polluting the region with toxic smoke and ash, and potentially upending the normal routines of homeless Angelenos.

Homeless service providers and advocates also say they fear the focus on wildfire recovery is already diverting public attention and resources away from homelessness. They say the data gathered in this year’s count is key to keeping the issue on the public’s radar.

“Not only do we get a snapshot of what's happening here in L. A. County — of what's working and what's not working – we also get to compare that against other parts of the country,” said Rowan Vansleve, president of Hope the Mission in the San Fernando Valley.

“And that is so important right now.”

Delayed count

The count had been scheduled for late January but was postponed over concerns that evacuations of both housed and unhoused residents and disruptions to homeless services providers would compromise the accuracy of the data gathered.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, known as LAHSA, was also worried about sending volunteers into burn areas where their health or safety could be jeopardized.

Because of the risks, LAHSA is expected to deploy teams of its own outreach workers, instead of volunteers, to count unhoused people within census tracts that sustained fire damage. Those teams will work with first responders to access the areas safely, officials said.

Despite the challenges, the agency says its volunteer recruitment efforts are on pace with last year’s numbers. As of Friday, more than 4,000 volunteers had registered. Last year, about 6,000 volunteers participated, LAHSA said.

The agency has requested nearly 8,000 volunteers for this year, but the agency said only about 2,600 are required in order to conduct an accurate count.

The annual point-in-time count of the unhoused population is required by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Government agencies, including LAHSA, use the data to decide how to allocate funding and resources.

“This is an opportunity for us to unite and participate in a project that will help people living on our streets,” said LAHSA spokesperson Chris Yee. “The Homeless Count helps us gain a clearer picture of homelessness in our community.”

LAHSA typically publishes the results of the count in late spring or early summer, but the agency hasn’t said how the postponement will affect this year’s release.

Volunteers arrive for the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count in 2022. LAHSA has made updates to the volunteering process this year to try to make it easier.

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Frederic J. Brown

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AFP via Getty Images

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The numbers 

In 2024, LAHSA estimated there were 45,252 unhoused people in the city of L.A. at the time of the January point-in-time count and 75,312 across the county.

In both cases, the numbers were a slight reduction from 2023. They measured a 2% decrease in the city of L.A. and a 0.27% decrease countywide, which is within the count's margin of error.

Still, it was the first time in several years without a spike in the region’s unhoused population. Nationally, the homeless population rose 18% over that same period.

The 2024 Homeless Count also showed a 10% decrease specifically in unsheltered homelessness, as more people moved into shelters and hotels. It’s unclear what those unsheltered numbers will look like this year, or how the wildfires might have shifted the balance.

“Are we gonna see more people unsheltered or, probably more likely, will the shelter numbers be up because people are displaced?” said Ben Henwood, director of USC’s Homelessness Policy Research Institute. “And then how will we know if it’s the disaster that impacted the numbers or something else?”

Deepening the crisis

The wildfires that ignited in early January destroyed nearly 12,000 homes in the Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Pasadena and caused more than $100 billion in losses.

They also spurred increases in rent prices, including instances of illegal rent gouging.

Most of the thousands of families who lost their homes in the fires are not expected to show up in next week’s homeless count, which tallies people living outside in tents and vehicles, as well as in homeless shelters. The count doesn’t include people living doubled-up with other families or staying in Airbnbs.

“Most people who are homeless were last housed with someone else. They weren't even renters, they were lodgers in someone else's property,” said Gary Blasi, a law professor at UCLA.

The loss of thousands of single-family homes in Pacific Palisades and Altadena doesn’t necessarily mean a shorter supply of housing available to extremely low-income Angelenos, experts say.

But rising housing demand from wildfire victims will worsen L.A.'s existing housing shortage, likely forcing more low-income Angelenos into homelessness in the long-term.

“We've been trying to build ourselves out of this mess for a while,” said Sarah Hunter, director of the RAND Center on Housing and Homelessness. “Now there's just going to be more strain on the system.”

How the wildfires will affect this year's Greater L.A. Homeless Count is a big unknown.

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Frederic J. Brown

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AFP via Getty Images

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Shifting priorities

Wildfire recovery is expected to remain a top priority for public officials, which could mean less spending on homeless services — especially as the city of L.A. is facing a budget crisis fueled by increased legal payouts and labor costs.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has said she aims to end street homelessness by next year, and homelessness has been at the top of the city’s agenda since she took office.

But UCLA's Blasi said that’s likely to change amid rebuilding efforts after the fires.

“The finite attention span of the government is going to be much more focused on this new problem,” he said, “And that's going to take that attention away from the homeless crisis, even as it exacerbates the homeless crisis.”

Many homeless services providers are nervous about decreases in public dollars and charitable donations forcing them to cut back services.

“Attention has shifted, so we're not seeing the number of volunteers,” said Vansleve. “Nor are we seeing the same amount of giving. That is all going to affect the services we provide.”

Providers also worry that rising housing demand after the fires could force certain housing units for the homeless to close.

“I'm concerned that some of the sites that we work with to house folks may be too expensive to actually bring folks indoors,” said Ryan Smith, CEO of homeless services provider the St. Joseph Center in West L.A.

Volunteering for the count

During last year’s count, some volunteers reported confusion about a cumbersome volunteer registration system, confusing training materials, delays checking in at deployment sites and technical issues with the phone app used to coordinate the count.

In response to those concerns, LAHSA officials say they’ve updated processes this year to improve the volunteer experience.

Volunteers will now use a single website to register and access training, according to LAHSA. The agency said it streamlined the check-in process for volunteers to reduce waiting times, and the Homeless Count app has been updated to provide better navigation and tracking features to keep volunteers in their assigned census tracts.

This year’s count will take place over three days this week, beginning at 8 p.m. each evening.

• Tuesday, Feb. 18: Volunteers will tally the unhoused residents in much of the L.A. metro area, the San Fernando Valley, and the Santa Clarita Valley.
• Wednesday, Feb. 19: Volunteers will spread out throughout East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley.
• Thursday, Feb. 20: The count will conclude with a focus on West L.A., South L.A., the Antelope Valley and the South Bay. 

People interested in volunteering can register and learn more at: theycountwillyou.org.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.