Despite 18% jump in homelessness nationwide, Los Angeles' numbers see notable decrease
Despite a very notable 18% increase in homelessness across the entire United States, the numbers in Los Angeles have seen a decrease for the first time in seven years, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The city of LA was one of few that reported a drop in unsheltered homeless people, with the new study reporting a 5% decrease as compared to 2023.
HUD's 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report analyzes the number of people living in shelters, temporary housing or unsheltered settings. The report found that more than 770,000 people nationwide were experiencing homelessness on one night in Jan. 2024, which is an 18% jump from the year prior.
The report attributes the increase to migration, displacement from natural disasters and the rising cost of housing across the country.
Despite all of this, Los Angeles was among the few jurisdictions where numbers decreased, joining he likes of Dallas, Texas and Chester County, Pennsylvania.
City leaders increased the availability of housing for people experiencing homelessness as much of the nation struggles with a high-cost rental market. The housing was created by combining federal, state and county funds, the HUD said.
"This crisis has been decades in the making, but after years of increases, we've turned the corner with the first decrease in street homelessness in years, by acting with innovative solutions that have resulted in thousands more people inside and more housing being built throughout the city," said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a statement. "There's still more work to do and this urgent work will continue in 2025."
Despite the decrease, LA still remains at the top of the list in overall homeless individuals, both sheltered and unsheltered, at 71,201, data from the report showed. California was also the state with the highest homeless population, followed by New York, Washington, Florida and Massachusetts.
Other cities that had notable numbers of homeless people included San Diego at 10,605, San Jose/Santa Clara at 10,394, Oakland and Berkeley/Alameda County at 9,450, San Francisco at 8,323, and Santa Ana, Anaheim/Orange County at 7,322.
Other data from the report showed that veterans experiencing homeless saw a nearly 8% decrease from 35,574 in 2023 to 32,882. Unsheltered veteran numbers also dropped by almost 11% from 15,507 to 13,851 in 2024. Los Angeles' numbers were even greater in scale, with a nearly 23% decrease in unsheltered veterans in the area.
Bass attributes this to several initiatives, which include boosting participation in a veteran housing voucher program calledHUD-VASH, as well as making notable policy changes in regards to veteran benefits.
"Los Angeles is one of the few communities in the country that saw a decrease in homelessness," said Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority CEO Va Lecida Adams Kellum. "What's happening in L.A. is working. ... Now is not the time to go backward. Our community must redouble its efforts in pursuing what we know works to bring all our unsheltered neighbors home."
LAHSA reported that its 2024 homeless county found that nearly 54% of people who became homeless say that the main reason was economic hardships.