With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Homelessness Rises 23 Percent In L.A. County, Says New Report
(Photo by cyna79 via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
()
A study released Wednesday by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) reports that L.A. County's homeless population has risen 23% since last year. According to LAHSA's 2017 report, there were 57,794 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County on any given night—up from 46,874 in 2016.
The city of Los Angeles, which contains Downtown L.A.'s Skid Row, home to the nation's largest concentration of homeless people, reported a 20% rise in homelessness that was consistent with the county's overall surge. Disproportionately affected populations included veterans, whose homelessness rates rose 57% since 2016, and youth under the age of 24, whose homelessness rates increased by 61%. "We know from living and working in the community that we are surrounded by people in Los Angeles living without housing, living in distress, so these numbers shouldn't come as a shock—and yet, they do," Heather Carmichael, executive director for the homeless outreach service My Friend's Place, told LAist.
The 2017 homelessness numbers detailed in the LAHSA report were collected using the "Point-in-Time Count" mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which examined the number of homeless individuals in L.A. County streets in January 2017. LAHSA's 2017 tally also includes temporarily "sheltered" homeless individuals, whom the report defines as "individuals or families living in supervised publicly or privately operated shelters designed to provide temporary living arrangement." Still, only one out of every four homeless people were classified as "sheltered", the LA Times reports, and public and private shelters can provide only a temporary solution even for the individuals they do take in.
The LAHSA report attributed the rise in homelessness partially to the increasing cost of housing, noting that L.A. County's inflation-adjusted median rent rose by 28% from 2000 to 2014, while median renter income declined 8%. Mayor Eric Garcetti discussed the need for affordable housing in his annual State of The City address in April, proposing over $176 million of the city's budget to housing the unsheltered and praising the passage of Proposition HHH, a measure providing $1.2 billion in bond proceeds over a decade to build permanent housing in Los Angeles. The LAHSA study echoed Garcetti's concern, citing the potential value of Prop HHH and Measure H—a sales tax generating $355 million annually for services and programs to combat homelessness—in reducing L.A. County's rate of homelessness by 2018.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The historic properties have been sitting vacant for decades and were put on the market as-is, with prices ranging from $750,000 to $1.75 million. -
Users of the century old Long Beach wooden boardwalk give these suggestions to safely enjoy it. -
The Newport Beach City Council approved a new artificial surf park that will replace part of an aging golf course. -
The utility, whose equipment is believed to have sparked the Eaton Fire, says payouts could come as quickly as four months after people submit a claim. But accepting the money means you'll have to forego any lawsuits. -
The City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposal to study raising the pay for construction workers on apartments with at least 10 units and up to 85 feet high. -
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol.
Best of LAist