Data from the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count shows the number of individuals experiencing homelessness countywide dropped slightly for the first time in six years. Although count results for the San Fernando Valley indicated a minor increase, the number remained “relatively stable,” rising from 10,443 unhoused persons in 2023 to 10,701 in 2024.
“Notably, the count of sheltered [unhoused] individuals in [the San Fernando Valley] surged by 56%, rising from 2,379 in 2023 to 3,704 this year. This significant increase underscores the positive impact of our unified approach and coordinated efforts in LA County and city, contributing to these promising results,” according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).
The raw homeless count for the City of San Fernando – not yet available for public release – also showed a positive improvement: the number of unhoused individuals in the city dropped by approximately half in 2024 compared to the previous year, said City Manager Nick Kimball.
“As someone that participated in the [Homeless] Count this year and last year, I can say we did experience a pretty significant decrease in the number of unsheltered persons that we were able to count in the City of San Fernando,” said Kimball, who credits the decline in part to the City Council adopting a Homeless Action Plan and hiring a housing coordinator in 2022, and the city’s partnerships with the nonprofit agencies North Valley Caring Services and Home Again LA.
LAHSA released the results of the 2024 Greater LA Homeless Count during a June 28 press conference. This year’s homeless survey was carried out by hundreds of volunteers Jan. 24-26.
Key findings from the 2024 Homeless Count show:
– There were 75,312 unhoused individuals in the county in 2024 compared to 75,518 in 2023;
– There were 45,252 unhoused persons citywide in LA in 2024 compared to 46,260 in 2023;
– There was a reduction in unsheltered homelessness in LA County, with a 5.1% decrease compared to 2023, and the number of sheltered unhoused people increased by 12.7%; and
– Unsheltered homelessness across the city of LA dropped by approximately 10.7%, and the number of unhoused individuals who were sheltered rose by 17.7%.
“The release of the 2024 Greater LA Homeless Count confirms that we can reduce street homelessness without criminalization,” said Stephanie Klasky-Gamer, president and CEO of LA Family Housing (LAFH), which helps individuals transition out of homelessness and poverty. She described the numbers from this year’s count as “a positive step in the right direction.”
“We know what it takes to end homelessness: helping more people stay in their homes, building more affordable housing in our region and increasing access to housing and services for those who have fallen into homelessness,” added Klasky-Gamer. “We will remain focused on ending street homelessness and leading with people-centered services by moving people inside to interim and permanent housing.”
The 2024 Homeless Count numbers also showed that family homelessness increased by 2.2%, although many families are in temporary housing. Among transition-age youth – individuals coming out of the foster system between the ages of 16 and 24 – homelessness decreased by 16.2%, and homelessness among veterans declined by 22.9%.
Countywide, permanent housing placements were up 18% to an all-time high of 27,300 in 2023, bringing the grand total over the past seven years to more than 110,000, according to LAHSA.
Lindsey P. Horvath, chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors and the LAHSA Commission, said the 2024 Homeless Count results “are validation, not victory.”
“We must continue to move with urgency across all levels of government and in every community in Los Angeles County to bring our unhoused neighbors inside,” said Horvath. “For more meaningful progress, we must strengthen tenant protections and programs to keep people housed. We must also create the permanent, supportive, affordable housing that so many vulnerable Angelenos desperately need.”
“This year’s Homeless Count results give me hope because they show that our unified approach and coordinated efforts have led to meaningful decreases in unsheltered homelessness,” said Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, CEO of LAHSA. “One year is not enough to say we have turned the corner, but the numbers we are seeing are very encouraging. We must continue to work in collaboration on the life-saving efforts that are contributing to positive results.”
Jose Herrera of City News Service contributed to this article.