Posted on 07/01/2024
ONE BIG THING: HOMELESSNESS IN LA DECREASES FOR FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS!
What Happened?
For the first time in over six years, homelessness is decreasing in the city of Los Angeles. Below are some topline stats about homelessness count in LA:
- Overall homelessness decreased by 2%, compared to increases for the past six years.
- Unsheltered homelessness decreased by over 10% in the City of LA.
- Permanent housing is up 18% at an all-time high, with nearly 28,000 housing placements last year.
- There are still an estimated 45,000 people living unhoused in the City of LA.
Why It Matters
It’s no coincidence that the first decrease in homelessness in six years happened right after the city started changing its approach to dealing with this crisis.
In District 13 and most of the city, instead of shuffling people around from block to block like the city did for years, we are finally leading with the housing and services that people need. Here are a few notable changes just from the past few years:
- An unprecedented effort led by Mayor Karen Bass and Housing & Homelessness Committee Chair Nithya Raman to follow the strategies we know are proven to permanently resolve homelessness.
- Coordination with partners at the city, county, state and federal levels. (It’s crazy this wasn’t happening before but it’s true!)
- A full-time Homelessness Team in District 13 who’ve helped with hundreds of housing placements in addition to coordinating outreach services, Inside Safe operations, and much more.
What's Next?
With over 45,000 Angelenos still living unhoused, this isn’t the time for a victory lap. But it’s a clear signal that we can’t slow down – we must push forward on the urgent solutions that we know will get us out of this crisis.
That means building more temporary and permanent housing, and it also means giving low-income families the resources they need to make rent and stay in their homes.
The next six months will be critical to making housing more affordable for working families and solidifying our progress on homelessness, so please stay involved!
Two More Quick Hits!
1. Bringing Inside 25 Formerly Unhoused People In Hollywood!
We held our 9th Inside Safe operation this week in Hollywood, north of the Capitol Records building near Yucca, Franklin, and Argyle – bringing inside about 25 people in partnership with the Mayor’s office and trusted service providers.
Many people who were living at these encampments became homeless during the pandemic, and now after years of constant uncertainty, they’ll finally have stability and a safe place to sleep at night so they can get back on their feet.
2. Reducing Permit Fees for Street Vendors
On Friday, City Council voted unanimously to approve a new policy lowering the cost of street vending permits from $291 to $27.51.
A city report found that many vendors have been operating without permits since they can’t afford to pay the hundreds of dollars every year, so this change will allow thousands of vendors in LA to obtain a permit and operate legally within the city.
This is the final step in the legislative process after council previously approved the motion requesting this change from Councilmembers Nithya Raman and Curren Price in February. The new policy will officially take effect July 28.