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Results of LA region’s annual homeless count to be released today
Volunteers at the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count return to Westwood Presbyterian Church after completing their routes. 12:57 am.
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Samanta Helou Hernandez
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LAist
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Topline:
The results of the L.A. region’s annual point-in-time homeless count are expected to be released this afternoon (Monday, July 14). The count — the largest of its kind in the country — is one of the most important surveys on homelessness in the Los Angeles area. The data plays a critical role in how resources are used to address homelessness and is a requirement for seeking federal funding.
The backstory: Last year’s count showed a 10% drop in unsheltered homelessness inside L.A. city limits, which was a dramatic shift from the 15% increase a year earlier. Officials have pointed to the drop as a sign that homeless initiatives are working, but LAist found that 2024’s count had marked differences in how people were counted in the city of L.A. and in other parts of L.A. County.
Other data: A separate study of Skid Row, Hollywood and Venice found a 15% decrease in the unsheltered populations last year overall compared to the previous year. The LA LEADS study, released by the Santa Monica-based RAND Corporation earlier this month, also found that the people who remained on the streets in 2024 were more vulnerable and harder for outreach organizations to serve.
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What's next: Va Lecia Adams Kellum, LAHSA’s outgoing CEO, has warned that next year’s count could be affected by budget cuts in the city of L.A., and because of L.A. County’s decision to pull funding from the troubled agency.
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