LA's homeless count results show the numbers in the city are up

Homelessness went up 3.4% in the city of Los Angeles this year, to 45,194 people living without stable shelter, according to four people briefed on the annual homeless count results.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is scheduled to officially announce the results Friday afternoon.

The increase comes after two years of declining homelessness under L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. The growth in the city of L.A.’s homeless population was driven by a 7.9% rise in unsheltered homelessness — the number of people living outdoors in tents, makeshift lean-tos and vehicles.

The 2026 results will also show a 1.2% increase in overall homelessness across much of L.A. County, according to the people briefed on the results who are not authorized to speak publicly. That geographic area, known as the Los Angeles Continuum of Care, or CoC, includes L.A. County except for Pasadena, Long Beach and Glendale — which have systems of their own.

What the mayor is saying

Ahead of the release, Bass responded to a report late Wednesday by Fox 11 that the numbers had gone up. Bass, who was briefed on the findings, acknowledged to Fox 11 that the city's unhoused population has increased, although she didn't share a specific percentage. The mayor blamed state funding cuts and federal policy changes for the rise.

On Thursday, the mayor’s office shared a statement with LAist:

“For two years straight, we drove down homelessness by historic margins — but as expected, last year our efforts ultimately couldn’t keep up with policies and funding cuts at the federal and state levels that pushed more people onto the streets,” Bass said.

When asked to clarify, Bass’ office said she was most concerned about state reductions to the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grant program, known as HHAP.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass speaks at a press conference before L.A.'s annual homeless count on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, in Los Angeles.

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Carlin Stiehl

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LAist

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Bass also said she believed the Trump administration has played a role in more people going unhoused. She said the administration's policies have “driven up the cost of gas, groceries, and rent” and “slashed critical safety net funding.” More broadly, she said city leaders have ignored the homelessness crisis for decades and that the “lack of adequate services provided by L.A. County continues to be a real problem.”

Why it matters

The point-in-time census, which is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and takes place yearly in L.A., provides a data snapshot. Local officials use it to gauge year-to-year fluctuations, and it also helps the federal government determine how millions of dollars in federal homelessness grants flow.

In 2025, the city's and county’s homeless populations dropped by 3.4% and 4%, respectively, while unsheltered homelessness dropped by 7.9%. The 2024 count also showed declines — those drops were smaller and within the count’s margin of error.

Bass, who took office at the very end of 2022, has been touting two consecutive years of declining homelessness in her reelection campaign this year. She’s facing City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who chairs L.A.’s housing and homelessness committee.

Release timing

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, known as LAHSA, conducted the count in January and initially planned to release the results in “late spring or early summer.” The release was delayed slightly this year, as LAHSA officials opted to wait on a federal review of the data. The agency typically released past homeless count findings in June.

LAHSA’s public release of the findings is currently scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, July 24.

Bass, who was present at the event for the past three years, has not responded to requests from LAist asking whether she will attend this time.