Los Angeles Street Homelessness Sees Contrasting Trends
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Los Angeles Street Homelessness Sees Contrasting Trends
- Street homelessness in Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman's district decreased by 49% between 2025 and 2026, while citywide unsheltered homelessness increased by 7.9% in the same period.
- The 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, released in late July 2026 by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), reported an overall 3.4% increase in homelessness for the city of Los Angeles.
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Los Angeles is grappling with a complex homelessness crisis, as recent data from the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count reveals a mixed picture. While the city of Los Angeles experienced an overall increase of 3.4% in its homeless population, reaching an estimated 45,194 people, and a 7.9% rise in unsheltered homelessness, one district saw significant improvement.
Council District 4, represented by Nithya Raman, reported a nearly 49% decrease in street homelessness—individuals living outdoors or in vehicles—between 2025 and 2026. Raman, who is currently challenging incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November 2026 mayoral election, attributed this success to her office’s “aggressive interventionist” approach, which includes dedicated homelessness teams, case management, and efforts to fill empty shelter beds.
Citywide, the increase in homelessness follows two consecutive years of decline. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) indicated that reductions in Time-Limited Subsidies, a short-term rental assistance program, were a primary factor contributing to the rise, leading to approximately 5,000 fewer people obtaining permanent housing in 2025 compared to previous years. This reduction in available rental assistance created a bottleneck in the rehousing system, hindering the movement of people from interim to permanent housing and contributing to the rise in unsheltered homelessness. Mayor Bass has cited federal and state funding cuts as contributing to the city’s overall increase.
The contrasting trends in homelessness have become a point of contention in the ongoing mayoral race. Raman has highlighted her district’s success as evidence of a more effective strategy, while Mayor Bass’s campaign has suggested that the mayor’s own “Inside Safe” program may have contributed to the drops in Raman’s district. The political implications are further underscored by reports that Raman is expected to lose her leadership role on the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, which she has chaired since 2023, a move some observers link to her mayoral challenge.