Full Breakdown
Los Angeles Homeless Count Reverses Two-Year Decline
7/24/2026, 7:47:14 AM
Core Event: 2026 Point-in-Time Count Shows Rise
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) released its 2026 point-in-time count on July 24, reporting 45,194 people experiencing homelessness—a 3.4 % increase from the previous year. Unsheltered individuals rose 7.9 %. County-wide, the overall homeless population grew 1.2 %.
Background & Context
Mayor Karen Bass, in office since December 2022, highlighted two prior years of decline, citing a 13 % citywide drop and a 17.5 % reduction in unsheltered counts, achieved in part through the Inside Safe program that placed more than 6,000 people in interim housing.
Data & Statistics
- City total homeless: 45,194 (?3.4 %) – LAHSA count.
- Unsheltered homeless: ?7.9 % (exact number not disclosed).
- County-wide total: ?1.2 % across the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (excluding Pasadena, Long Beach, Glendale).
- Veterans housed: >1,000 since Bass took office (Mayor’s claim).
- Return to homelessness: By May 31, 41 % of people placed in interim housing had cycled back onto the streets.
Official Statements & Responses
Bass noted “severe accounting concerns” uncovered in 2024-25 audits of LAHSA, which led HUD to pull federal funding in June 2026.
Criticism & Opposition
Councilmember Nithya Raman called the results “disappointing but not surprising,” adding the mayor’s approach “is not working well enough.” Political science professor Fernando Guerra warned the count “contradicts” Bass’s campaign narrative.
On-the-Ground Reports
Downtown residents reported visible homelessness, open-air drug use, and vacant-building fires. Jens Midthun, president of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, labeled abandoned properties “nuisance properties” and cited insufficient inspection and funding resources.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
LAHSA declined to release margins of error for the 2026 count, and some analysts noted the increase falls within the prior year’s statistical margin, leaving significance unclear. Fox LA sources projected a 3.5 % rise, showing minor discrepancies between outlets.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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 at the federal and state levels that pushed more people onto the streets,” — Karen Bass
- “My first take on the homelessness count numbers is that, generally speaking, they're not the most credible numbers in the world,” — City Councilman Mike Bonin
- “These are nuisance properties. There’s not enough inspectors, there’s not enough funding for these programs. They’re not operating in a way that is acceptable to the neighborhood,” — Jens Midthun
What’s Next
LAHSA will publish the full report on July 24. A federal court hearing on the agency’s funding dispute is scheduled for early August. City officials are evaluating alternatives to LAHSA, and homelessness will remain a central issue in the upcoming mayoral election.
