When Los Angeles County and city officials released the results of their latest count of unhoused people in July, they touted the results as a win: “ Over the last two years, our leaders came together to bring people inside, and their efforts have paid off,” said Va Lecia Adams Kellum, who until this past week ran the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Left out of that announcement, however, was any mention of families and children. But data reviewed by LAist show that the situation for families with children has not improved — especially for those living on the street.
- The number of unsheltered children and teens under 18 went up nearly22%this year compared to 2024 — from 1,558 to 1,897.
- The number of unsheltered families with children in the county increased 18% from 903 to 1,067.
- The total number of families with children — both sheltered and unsheltered — went up 6% from 3,520 to 3,728.
LAHSA says the increases are not statistically significant, but it also means the agency can’t demonstrate progress in reducing child homelessness. And there’s another trend: among unsheltered families, the number of people in those families increased by 22% — suggesting that larger families are being displaced.
The trends run counter to what the region has seen overall with individuals experiencing homelessness. Unsheltered homelessness declined in the county by 9.5%, and 14% over the last two years.
Larger family sizes
Providers on the ground have also noticed a growing need among families.
Kelvin Driscoll, interim co-director at HOPICS, a homeless services provider in South L.A., said they’re seeing an increase in two-parent households. And he said it can be complex to find placement for larger families…