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Last year, homeless camps fell significantly in Hollywood and Venice, but the number of people sleeping in “rough” without tents, vehicles or makeshift shelters has remained stable, increasing the likelihood that future profits will be difficult to maintain.
The total number of unsheltered homeless people fell 15% overall in the three Rand Research areas, the first decline since the project began in 2021. However, the decline was partially offset by an increase of 49% in Hollywood and 22% in Venice by a 9% increase in the skid row.
The authors of the report pointed to the positive and positive effects of public policy, which increased permanent and temporary housing, particularly Karen Bass city’s internal safe program, but found that those left behind pose a greater challenge.
“Rough” sleep accounted for about 40% of the total unsheltered population of the count, photographed in December 2024.
“Tent housing is no longer the typical modality of homelessness in Los Angeles,” said lead author Louis Abramson.
“We’re looking at this picture, where it appears that there is real progress in bringing people onto the streets, but those still on the streets are the most vulnerable,” Abramson said. “Light metrics are not trending like numbers. People’s health, happiness and connection levels have not improved and in a way they are getting worse.”
The report is the third annually released by Los Angeles Longitudinal Enumeration and Demographic Survey (LA Lead) and is conducted by RAND’s Centers for Housing and Homelessness.
The findings are consistent with preliminary results for the 2025 point-in-time count, released by the Los Angeles Department of Homeless Services in March. Based on the number of live numbers, the agency predicted a countywide decline of 5% to 10% in unsheltered homelessness.
Lahsa announced on Monday that she will release the final results for July 14th.
Rand’s report represents a more intensive study of three areas considered homeless hotspots. Researchers return every two months and track changes over time. They count individual tents, vehicles, makeshift shelters, and unsheltered sleeping people. Using a similar methodology to Lahsa, we estimate the number of people occupy each type of shelter and calculate the total population.
The report found “just good reasons” linking Hollywood’s dramatic decline to a series of internal safe operations that took place last year, but in Venice the records were less clear and it declined without internal safe operations. The impact of enforcement under the city’s Section 41.18 enforcement ordinance was less clear. The report found an estimated 12% of Skid Row’s unsheltered population was cited under the ordinance, but the area’s homeless population has increased.
“And therefore understanding the relationship between unsheld homeless changes to certain programs or new influx of people with those changes calls for more research,” the authors write.
Another factor in Hollywood’s dramatic improvements could be the efforts of the Los Angeles County Mental Health Pilot Project called Hollywood 2.0, the force behind the opening of two new housing projects, a 50-bed interim shelter, 90 bed boards and care homes.
“I think Hollywood 2.0 has been a strong contribution to reducing the number of assheld homelessness,” Brittney Weissman said. Executive Director of Hollywood 4WRD, a nonprofit organization that implements community engagement for projects.
Demographic surveys with counts found a trend of confusion associated with “rough” sleep growth. Respondents reported staying in the same location due to the short amount. The findings coincided with “increased solution efforts for sanitation and other camps, the most common in Hollywood, and moving people who are not covered indoors or regularly, leaving a more temporary, mobile, and dynamic population.”
Overall, 91% of respondents in all three areas expressed interest in detention, but only 38% reported being on the waiting list. Only 13% reported being offered supportive housing, while 39% were provided with group shelters. Less than 50% have been accepted.
People over the age of 62 and those under $99 per month were significantly less likely to search for homes than younger people or people with higher incomes.
The report highlights differences between the three areas.
People in Venice reported slightly higher levels of social security and disability benefits and income education rates, and were more likely to be employed.
Skid Row’s unsheltered population is older and more distorted women and black people compared to other regions. They reported that they were unlikely to report mental health, physical health, and substance use disorders. Of the remaining tent camps, 80% were in the skid row.
The authors made two recommendations that policymakers prioritize and streamline the creation of permanent housing to maintain positive trends. There is also a need for new strategies for demographic change.
The trend towards rough sleep will further strain tension service providers and outreach teams as clients become more mobile and vulnerable and the effectiveness of camp-based housing initiatives decreases.
Last year, rough sleep remained stable, but it has risen up over the course of three years of research.
“There’s a strategy that brings people along the streets well,” Abramson said. “But for these other groups it appears that they need to develop specific strategies that are not currently in our toolkit.”
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