Los Angeles Homeless Count Rises 3.4% to 45,194 as Unsheltered Population Jumps 7.9%
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 23
Los Angeles Homeless Count Rises 3.4% to 45,194 as Unsheltered Population Jumps 7.9%
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 23
Summary
45,194 people were counted as homeless in Los Angeles in the January census, reversing two years of declines and marking the first full year under Mayor Karen Bass in which the total rose.
A 7.9% increase in people sleeping outside — in tents, encampments or vehicles — drove the setback more sharply than the overall 3.4% citywide rise.
Across the broader count area covering Los Angeles and more than 80 smaller cities, homelessness still increased, but by a milder 1.2% between 2025 and 2026.
Bass, facing a bruising re-election race against Councilwoman Nithya Raman, blamed federal safety-net cuts, state reductions and city-county tensions over mental health funding for the reversal.