Long-delayed LAHSA count reveals full picture of LAs homeless crisis

Shocking new homelessness numbers released Friday show Los Angeles lost ground in its fight against the crisis despite pouring nearly $3 billion a year into shelters, housing and homeless programs.The long-awaited count found 45,194 people are now experiencing homelessness in the City of Los Angeles, a 3.4% increase from last year.Even more alarming, the number of people living unsheltered on streets, sidewalks, in parks and in vehicles jumped 7.9%, reversing two straight years of declines.Across Los Angeles County, homelessness also increased, with overall homelessness rising 1.2% from 73,040 in 2025 to 72,195 in 2026, according to the annual Point-in-Time Count released Friday.The numbers deliver a significant political setback to Mayor Karen Bass, who declared a local homelessness emergency on her first day in office in December 2022.The mayor made reducing street homelessness the defining goal of her administration as she campaigns for a second term.Much of the region’s homelessness response is coordinated through the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, or LAHSA, the joint city-county agency that oversees the annual homeless budget of roughly $845 million.

LAHSA administers federal and local homelessness funding, manages hundreds of contracts with nonprofit service providers, coordinates street outreach teams, maintains the region’s homeless database and conducts the annual Point-in-Time Count.The results immediately reignited criticism from City Hall leaders who have argued for years that the region’s homelessness response lacks accountability.Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, one of the City Council’s most outspoken critics of LAHSA, said the latest figures show the current system is failing despite billions of dollars in public spending.“These numbers underscore what I’ve been saying for years: we will not solve the homelessness crisis without accountability, transparency and a system that delivers real progress,” Rodriguez said.Rodriguez sai...