Los Angeles has experienced a 3.5% increase in its homeless population over the past year, reversing two years of reported declines, according to figures released Thursday. The new data shifts the city's homeless numbers back to levels seen in 2024, negating previous progress.
Mayor Karen Bass attributed the rise to external factors, including policies and funding cuts from the federal and state levels. "For two years straight, we drove down homelessness by historic margins – but as expected, last year our efforts ultimately couldn’t keep up with policies and funding cuts on the federal and state levels," Bass stated. She specifically cited the Trump administration's actions, claiming it "has driven up the cost of gas, groceries, and rent-pushing more families to the edge -and slashed critical safety net funding." Additionally, Bass pointed to a "cut of over $70 million" in state funding last year, which she said "severely impacted our work to keep people housed and get more Angelenos off the streets."
Bass also indicated that insufficient services, which are managed by LA County, contribute to the problem. "The lack of adequate services continues to be a real problem and a contributing factor to people cycling in and out of homelessness, and these services are controlled by LA County," she said. Despite these challenges, Bass highlighted her administration's efforts, stating that "tens of thousands of Angelenos" have been placed in interim housing and "more than 1,000 homeless veterans" have been housed through programs like "Inside Safe."
The mayor had released a video on Wednesday, appearing to preempt the statistics release and showcase her administration's initiatives. "No Angeleno should be living on our streets," Bass posted on X.
Downtown Los Angeles, particularly the Skid Row area, continues to be a focal point of the city's homelessness crisis. Jens Midthun, president of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, noted that abandoned properties and insufficient city resources exacerbate the issue. "These are nuisance properties. There’s not enough inspectors, there’s not enough funding for these programs," Midthun said. "Downtown, we face the brunt of it. Downtown is the heart of the homelessness crisis."
Mayor Bass is preparing to face socialist councilwoman Nithya Raman in the November elections. Raman, who chairs the city's Housing and Homelessness Committee, has also faced scrutiny over the homeless situation. Her prior efforts included a housing project intended to house 2,000 individuals, but it reportedly only utilized three apartments.