2016 LAHSA Homeless Count results released

Link to the count results: https://www.lahsa.org/homeless-count/results

From the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Press Release:

2016 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count Data Shows Significant Drops in Veteran And Family Homelessness Citing Focused Investment

Data Shows Increase in Los Angeles Homelessness Since 2015 Amidst Challenging Economic/Housing Climate

Los Angeles, CA (May 4, 2016) – Today, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the CityCounty agency tasked with addressing homelessness in Los Angeles County, released the results of the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, conducted in January 2016. This was the first annual Count for the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (CoC) and the largest homeless census in the nation, benefitting from the support of more than 7,500 volunteers who, for the first time, counted 100 percent of the census tracts in the LA CoC (Los Angeles County excluding Glendale Long Beach and Pasadena). The Count also captured 5,000 demographic surveys to provide rich profiles and conducted a survey-based Youth Count, which provides an important new baseline for homelessness among youth in the region.

The data support several compelling success stories in housing individuals and families, results highly aligned with sustained systemic investment of local and federal resources. Data for Los Angeles County (including our partner’s data from Glendale, Long Beach and Pasadena) indicated the following:

  • Veteran homelessness fell 30% to 3,071 veterans in 2016 from 4,362 in 2015
    • Unsheltered veterans decreased by 44% to 1,618 in 2016 from 2,889 in 2015
  • Family homelessness fell 18% (homeless family members) to 6,611 in 2016 from 8,103 in 2015
    • Unsheltered family members decreased by 35% to 1,998 family members in 2016 from 3,071 in 2015
  • 13,828 housing placements in 2015 – including 3,812 veterans and 6,867 family members housed

Amidst Los Angeles’ challenging economic climate, which has a less than 3% housing vacancy rate in Metropolitan Los Angeles, a Los Angeles County housing-indexed poverty rate of 27% and an affordable housing gap of 500,000+ units, the data indicated the following:

  • Homelessness in Los Angeles County increased 5.7% to 46,874 in 2016 from 44,359 in 2015, including LA CoC and neighboring CoCs of Glendale, Long Beach, Pasadena
    • 74% of homeless population is unsheltered in LA County (12,347) vs 26% Sheltered (34,527)
  • 43,854 people were found to be homeless in January 2016 in the LA Continuum of Care (CoC), an increase of 2,680 people, or 6.5% from 41,174 in 2015
    • Revised Youth Count methodology in the LA CoC provides more representative results over 2015
    • Youth Count figure of 2,388 homeless individuals ages 18-24 adds majority of Countywide increase
  • 20% increase in most visible form of homelessness in the LA CoC – encampments, tents and vehicles

Read the rest of the Press Release: http://documents.lahsa.org/Communication/2016/2016HomelessCountResultsRelease.pdf

Comments are closed.