The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has released the results of the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, revealing a second consecutive annual decline in homelessness. According to the data, street homelessness has decreased by 17.5% since December 2022, marking the most significant two-year drop since the Point-in-Time Count began in 2005.
The count was designed by the University of Southern California and conducted in accordance with standards set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Officials report reductions not only in the overall number of individuals experiencing homelessness, but also in visible street encampments. The number of makeshift shelters, tents, and people living in vehicles dropped by 13.5%.
LAHSA also noted that permanent housing placements in the City of Los Angeles have reached an all-time high. This trend is in contrast with both national and state-level data, which show rising homelessness in many other regions.
Mayor Karen Bass, who took office in December 2022, has implemented several citywide programs intended to address street homelessness. On her first day in office, she declared a state of emergency and launched “Inside Safe,” a city initiative focused on moving people indoors while permanent housing is developed. According to city reports, the program has resolved over 100 encampments across all council districts.
Independent data appears to support the city’s findings. The RAND Corporation released a study earlier this month reporting a 49% drop in street homelessness in Hollywood over the past year. The report also indicated reductions in Venice, both areas where Inside Safe operations have been active.
The city has also expanded efforts to prevent homelessness through anti-eviction programs led by the Mayor’s Fund and by accelerating affordable housing construction through initiatives such as LA4LA. Over 30,000 units of affordable housing are currently in development.
City leaders attribute the downward trend to a coordinated effort between local and regional entities, including Councilmember Nithya Raman, Chair of the City Council Housing and Homelessness Committee, and LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum.
The 2025 Count follows the 2024 report, which marked the first decrease in homelessness in the City of Los Angeles in several years. Taken together, the last two counts suggest a shift in the city’s homelessness trajectory, though challenges remain as the region continues to address the complex root causes of housing insecurity.
