L.A. County reported a record number of deaths among the unhoused community again in 2021.
1,612 unhoused people died last year, an increase of 222 from 2020, according to preliminary data released by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.
"Until we address the mental health and addiction component, we are going to continue to see a rise on the streets," L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told LAist.
Barger said that more needs to be done to help get people with serious mental health disorders indoors moving forward.
"We need to build capacity within our system to get hospitalizations, stabilization, and then housing and more than likely board-and-care, because many of these individuals are not going to be able to live independently," Barger continued.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is looking into conservatorship reform to help people "who can't help themselves" due to severe mental illness.
