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Housing & Homelessness

Has homelessness changed in your neighborhood since Mayor Bass took office?

A worker in a bright orange vest carries an object from between tents on a sidewalk, as another worker in a bright yellow vest looks on.
A worker removes items from an encampment in Hollywood on May 31, 2024, as part of an Inside Safe operation. Inside Safe is L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ signature program to move people indoors from encampments.
(
Nick Gerda / LAist
)

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Homelessness continues to be a top concern for Angelenos, with nearly 30,000 people living outdoors across the city, according to the latest count. We want to hear from you about what you’re seeing in your area, a year-and-a-half into L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ administration.

You can share your experience at the bottom of this post.

What we want to know

Do you feel like homelessness has increased or decreased in your neighborhood over the past year and a half?

What does homelessness look like in your neighborhood, and how has it changed (or not changed)?

Across the city, do you feel like homelessness has improved or gotten worse since Bass took office?

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Why we want to hear from you

After hundreds of millions in new taxpayer spending, the latest official count showed a drop in the number of people living outside in the city of L.A. during roughly the first year of Bass’ administration. We’ve heard mixed responses about whether that corresponds with what people are seeing in their area.

We want to better understand what people across the city are actually seeing and experiencing.

Bass’ term goes through 2026. Earlier this month, the mayor announced she’s seeking another four-year term, in the 2026 election. Many voters are evaluating the mayor largely on her handling of homelessness.

What we’ll do with your responses 

An LAist reporter or editor will read through each response to inform our reporting. We plan to run a story summarizing the responses and highlighting key comments. It’s up to you whether we can share your response publicly.

We might follow up with you to learn more, if you’re open to it.

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Tell LAist: What's changed in your neighborhood?

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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

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