After climbing for the past five years , overall homelessness leveled off in Los Angeles city and county this year, with fewer people living on the streets, according to the annual count released Friday.
The 2024 count, representing a snapshot taken in January , appeared to show the effects of city and county programs to clear out encampments by moving people from tents, makeshift shelters and vehicles into hotels, motels and other forms of temporary housing.
“These shifts in both the city and the county mean that this year, across our region, more people are experiencing homelessness inside, where they are safer, where they have food, showers and better access to medical and other services,” said Paul Rubenstein, Deputy Chief External Relations Officer of the Los Angeles Homeless Authority, which conducts the count.
LAHSA estimated that there were 75,312 homeless people across the county, down 0.3% compared to the prior year. In the City of Los Angeles, the number was 45,252, a reduction of 2.2%.