With LAHSA as a key partner, the coordinated emergency response reduces unsheltered homelessness for the second consecutive year

July 14, 2025 3:39 PM

This press release was issued by Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (July 14, 2025) - The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) today released the results of the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. For the second straight year, homelessness is down across Los Angeles County, falling 4% to 72,308. Homelessness also declined in the City of Los Angeles, falling by 3.4% to 43,699. Another key metric, unsheltered homelessness, decreased countywide by 9.5% and within the City of Los Angeles by 7.9%. Over the last two years, unsheltered homelessness has dropped in the County and City of Los Angeles by 14% and 17.5%, respectively.

The new trend of declining homelessness in the LA area is thanks to the unprecedented, coordinated efforts of LAHSA, its partners at the City and County, and service providers in reducing unsheltered homelessness.

"When I first came to LAHSA, I said we'd reduce unsheltered homelessness in three years. We did it in one and cemented it in two. By bringing innovative solutions, system change, and working arm in arm with our partners over the last two years, LAHSA has helped move people inside with the urgency this humanitarian crisis demands," said LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum. "We can also see clearly that our work isn't done. It's crucial we keep moving forward, together, to sustain our reductions in unsheltered homelessness."

Unsheltered homelessness in LA County decreased 9.5% in 2025 while sheltered homelessness increased 8.5%. In the City of LA, unsheltered homelessness decreased 7.9% and sheltered homelessness increased 4.7%.

"Homelessness has gone down two years in a row because we chose to act with urgency and reject the broken status quo of leaving people on the street until housing was built. These results aren't just data points-they represent thousands of human beings who are now inside, and neighborhoods that are beginning to heal. This Point in Time Count makes one thing clear: change is possible when we refuse to accept encampments as normal and refuse to leave people behind. I want to recognize the Inside Safe Team for the work they do to build trust and bring people inside, Chair of the Council Housing and Homelessness Committee Councilwoman Raman for her partnership and Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum for her dedicated and unwavering leadership. My commitment to confront this crisis head-on is stronger and more urgent than ever," said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

The unsheltered counts reflect the success of encampment resolution programs, such as Inside Safe and Pathway Home, which bring people inside rapidly. Since their inception, the two signature programs have combined to place 6,317 people in interim housing and have permanently housed 1,449 people.

"It is hopeful to see a decrease in the point in time count for two consecutive years. The encampment resolution programs are contributing to more people saying yes to coming off the streets and into housing. Over 1,600 unhoused people have come into housing through the County's Pathway Home encampment resolution program and over 4,700 through the City of LA's Inside Safe program," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Second District. "LAHSA is a critical partner for these signature encampment resolution programs which connect unhoused people in all of LA County to housing and wrap around services. We are seeing the impact of collective action and we must continue to focus on what works in addressing the unacceptably high number of people living on our streets."

"I am very pleased that for a second year in a row, Los Angeles County has seen a decrease in the homeless count.  This progress reflects a focused emergency response, innovative housing programs, and strong coordination among service providers and local jurisdictions. I am hopeful that the County's newly established Department of Homeless Services and Housing will strengthen these efforts further," said Los Angeles County Chair Pro Tem and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. "With over 72,000 County residents who are still unhoused, we know that there is more work yet to be done. To that end, I remain committed to bring forward the housing and services needed to address this crisis."

Additionally, the number of permanent housing placements reached an all-time high of nearly 27,994 in 2024, representing a 2.5% increase from the previous year. This result is possible, in part, due to the 2,960 permanent supportive housing units created in 2024 - many of which were made possible by Prop HHH. This record performance has pushed the total number of housing placements since 2017 over 125,000.

Several innovations by LAHSA also contributed to this success, including Master Leasing, active system management, and key policy changes that enabled more people to obtain the necessary documents to secure housing. These changes contributed to a 23.5% increase in the number of people transitioning from interim housing to permanent housing, totaling 11,146 individuals.

Despite all of these gains, regional leaders know the work is not nearly done. Regardless of how many people LAHSA and its partners lift out of homelessness, people continue to fall into homelessness faster than the rehousing system can move them out. Data previously presented to the Executive Committee on Regional Homeless Alignment showed more than 60,000 people accessed homeless services for the first time in 2024. In addition, reductions to rental subsidies and other funding in the new fiscal year threaten the rehousing system's ability to maintain its rate of permanent housing in the years to come.

This makes the public's continued investment in homeless services through Measure A and the development of permanent housing and prevention through the new Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, or LACAHSA, even more important.

As the governance of the homeless rehousing system shifts, key partners must continue to work in collaboration and utilize data to align their collective efforts around life-saving policies that are yielding results.

"Our work over the last two years has yielded tangible results that have saved lives," continued Dr. Adams Kellum. "As we move forward into a new era of homeless services, I urge both the City and the County to continue to stay aligned and coordinate with each other. You must keep this momentum going to end the crisis on our streets."

Media Contact

Tati Simonian Public Information Officer Tati.Simonian@santamonica.gov

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