As the number of homeless people across the country reaches undesirable levels this year, Los Angeles is one of the few metropolitan areas to record a decline in the number of people living on the streets.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released 2024 homelessness statistics, showing an 18.1% increase nationwide.
These figures come against the backdrop of another significant rise in homelessness in 2023, driven by rising rents and the end of pandemic-era aid. In addition to affordability, this year’s increase is due to both a surge in immigration in some states and natural disasters that have hit others.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles County, the number of unsheltered homeless people actually decreased by about 5.1% from 2023, the first decline in the seven years the region has reported, HUD officials said.
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In Los Angeles, the number of unsheltered homeless people has decreased by more than 10%. Both the county and the City of Los Angeles say that while not all shelters are being utilized to their full potential, there has been a significant increase in the number of unhoused individuals coming indoors to utilize shelter space. I reported it.
HUD officials credited Los Angeles with leveraging city, county and federal funding to increase housing availability for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
A man sleeps on a sidewalk in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Getty Images)
Experts also point to enforcing camping bans and concerted efforts to remove encampments from sidewalks and place people living on the streets into some type of transitional housing as key tools in the fight against homelessness. are.
“What’s happening in Los Angeles is working,” said Va. Lesia Adams Kellum, CEO of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. “The collaboration between LAHSA, the city, county and service providers is working well, and LAHSA’s changes to the rehousing system are working well. We are making progress.”
Adams-Kellum said several LAHSA initiatives are helping more people move into supportive housing faster than ever before.
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Despite the significant decline in homelessness in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, California as a whole continues to lead the nation in the total number of unhoused people, ahead of New York, Washington, and Florida.
In a statement released Friday, California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) criticized the state’s response to the homelessness crisis, particularly Gov. Gavin Newsom’s attempts to address the issue. did.
“Today’s HUD report makes clear that Mr. Newsom’s endless spending ‘solution’ has only made matters worse, rather than solving them,” Jones said. “California now has the highest homeless population in the nation, including homeless veterans.”
California is the most populous state in the United States, and its warm, Mediterranean-like climate is often thought to be a unique factor contributing to the problem of homelessness compared to other populous states. It is important to note that.
When it comes to veteran homelessness, HUD says there is room for optimism, with the number of homeless veterans nationwide reaching an all-time low (32,882) in 2024, an overall decrease of 55% over the past 15 years. announced. Federal agencies also announced plans to award nearly $40 million in federal funds to provide rental assistance and support services to further combat veteran homelessness.
Outgoing HUD Secretary Adrian Todman said the Biden-Harris administration remains committed to ensuring families have access to affordable and safe housing, as evidenced by the progress made in keeping veterans off the streets. added that the data shows there is a path to preventing and ending homelessness.
“While this data is nearly a year old and no longer reflects the situation we are seeing, it is important to focus on evidence-based efforts,” Todman said. “We know what works and is successful in reducing homelessness among veterans, and it shows.”
Click here to learn more about HUD’s 2024 homeless numbers.
