New poll shows homelessness has become an inescapable part of life in LA

A new survey reveals nearly universal agreement among Los Angeles County residents that homelessness in the region is a problem. And nearly 10% of respondents reported having experienced homelessness themselves.

The details

USC Dornsife researchers published new results from the L.A. Barometer survey on Thursday. Some of their findings include:

• 93% of Angelenos said homelessness is a problem in L.A. 
• 63% said they see people experiencing homelessness on a daily basis
• 9% said they’ve experienced homelessness themselves, a number that rises to 21% for L.A.’s Black residents 
• Nearly one-in-four Angelenos (23%) said they’ve experienced some form of housing instability as an adult, including everything from couch-surfing with friends or family to staying in motels, vehicles or tents on the street

About the methodology

The results were based on a survey of about 1,500 L.A. County residents that took place between late June and mid-October.

Keep up with LAist.

If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

Subscribe

What people think is causing the crisis

Respondents were most likely to point to mental illness (85%) and addiction (84%) as the top factors driving L.A.’s high homelessness numbers.

Fewer respondents pointed to the cost of housing (78%), unemployment or financial hardship (74%) or racism (31%).

Kyla Thomas, a USC sociologist who directs the L.A. Barometer survey, said while mental health and substance abuse issues contribute to homelessness, research shows they’re not the top drivers — even though many people think of them first.

“The research shows also that the cost of housing and housing supply is a bigger part of the problem,” Thomas said. “It's interesting to see how people seem to see that as less of a contributor even than mental health.”

People are still looking for solutions

The survey also found that large majorities of Angelenos support a wide range of policies to address homelessness. Those include:

• Mental health and drug treatment (87%)
• The creation of more affordable housing (81%)
• Rent control (79%)

Why that could matter in this election

L.A. voters will get a chance to weigh in on these issues in November through ballot measures such as Prop. 33, which aims to allow cities to expand rent control policies in California, and Measure A, a proposed L.A. County sales tax increase to fund homelessness response efforts.