Amid end to COVID help, homelessness surging in many cities
2 years, 2 months ago

Amid end to COVID help, homelessness surging in many cities

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In California’s capital, massive tent encampments have risen along the American River and highway overpasses have become havens for homeless people, whose numbers have jumped a staggering nearly 70% over two years. Some communities where numbers are down, he said, “are really looking at housing people versus criminalizing people and putting them in encampments.” In Sacramento, where rents are soaring and officials disagree on how best to deal with the problem, homelessness has jumped 68% from 2020 to 2022 — the most among larger cities reporting results so far. Hamilton’s studio apartment is the result of a Boston strategy whereby the city and area nonprofits use extensive outreach to get people who’ve been on the streets for over a year into apartments and then provide services such as drug treatment and life-skills training like budgeting with the help of case managers. Boston’s shelters have become less crowded even as Zillow found the city’s average rent rose to $2,800 this summer — up 13% from three years earlier.

Housing Cities City Homeless California Numbers Homelessness End Apartment Sacramento Boston Homeless People Shelters Steinberg  covid  sacramento  housing  homelessness  apartment  end  surging  help  amid  boston  city  numbers  shelters  pandemic  cities  homeless

History of this topic

Los Angeles’ $22-billion homelessness problem gives leaders a choice: Double down or change strategies
2 months, 1 week ago

Los Angeles’ $22-billion homelessness problem gives leaders a choice: Double down or change strategies

LA Times  

City of Los Angeles officials are finally confronting a question that has seemed too big to answer: How much would it actually cost to get every person living on the street today indoors and make sure that no one languished there for years again? “In other ways, it doesn’t seem that eye-popping to me for the scale of the problem.” …

The under-the-radar proposal to end homelessness in Los Angeles for $20 billion
3 months, 1 week ago

The under-the-radar proposal to end homelessness in Los Angeles for $20 billion

LA Times  

A homeless man waits for transportation to housing as Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program employees along with the Sanitation Bureau clean up homeless encampments along Hollywood Boulevard and Gower Street in Hollywood in August. It would cost $20.4 billion to end homelessness in Los Angeles in a decade, a price tag requiring local, state and federal governments to more …

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County decreases in annual count
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County decreases in annual count

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — The number of homeless residents counted in Los Angeles County has dipped slightly, decreasing by about 0.3% since last year as California continues to struggle with the long-running crisis of tens of thousands of people sleeping in cars and encampments. Results released Friday from a federally required tally conducted in January found 75,312 people were homeless on …

Editorial: Drop in L.A.’s homeless population shows efforts to house people are paying off
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Editorial: Drop in L.A.’s homeless population shows efforts to house people are paying off

LA Times  

Wah Chen, 52, counts a homeless man sleeping next to his tent while participating in the second night of the 2024 Los Angeles County homeless count on Jan. 24. The results of the 2024 point-in-time homeless count released Friday show a 2.2% drop in the population of unhoused people living in the city of Los Angeles, from 46,260 in 2023 …

For the first time since 2018, homeless count finds fewer people living on L.A. streets
5 months, 3 weeks ago

For the first time since 2018, homeless count finds fewer people living on L.A. streets

LA Times  

After climbing for the last five years, overall homelessness leveled off in Los Angeles this year, with fewer people living on the streets, according to the annual count released Friday. “These shifts in both the city and the county mean that this year, across our region, more people are experiencing homelessness inside, where they are safer, where they have food, …

Opinion: Why is California behind Texas and other states in curbing homelessness?
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Opinion: Why is California behind Texas and other states in curbing homelessness?

LA Times  

Rent is surging nationwide. Texas cities also stand out: Last year, the Houston metropolitan area achieved the lowest rate of homelessness of any major U.S. city, with just 52 people per 100,000 residents experiencing homelessness. Meanwhile, five of the top 10 major cities with the highest rates of homelessness nationally are in California: San Francisco, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland …

Many homeless in L.A. died from drugs in 2023, preliminary data show
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Many homeless in L.A. died from drugs in 2023, preliminary data show

LA Times  

Tents line the sidewalk at a homeless encampment in the Rampart Village neighborhood of Los Angeles in November 2021. Data released Thursday by City Controller Kenneth Mejia show at least 898 homeless people died last year on streets, in shelters, on freeways and elsewhere. Mejia’s report, which analyzed Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner preliminary data, did not break …

Photos: 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count is underway
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Photos: 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count is underway

LA Times  

The annual three-night Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count is underway with volunteers fanning out to tally the number of unsheltered individuals, tents, vehicles and makeshift shelters they see in their assigned census tract. The 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count revealed a 9% year-over-year increase in homelessness in Los Angeles County and a 10% rise in Los Angeles. While participating …

Annual count of homeless residents begins in Los Angeles, where tens of thousands live on streets
11 months ago

Annual count of homeless residents begins in Los Angeles, where tens of thousands live on streets

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County’s annual count of homeless residents began Tuesday night — a crucial part of the region’s efforts to confront the crisis of tens of thousands of people living on the streets. Up to 6,000 volunteers with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority fanned out for the effort’s main component, the unsheltered street tally. AP AUDIO: …

US homelessness up 12% to highest reported level as rents soar and coronavirus pandemic aid lapses
1 year ago

US homelessness up 12% to highest reported level as rents soar and coronavirus pandemic aid lapses

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The United States experienced a dramatic 12% increase in homelessness to its highest reported level as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more Americans, federal officials said Friday. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge said the data underscored an “urgent need” to support proven solutions that …

More Americans Are Ending Up Homeless—at a Record Rate
1 year, 4 months ago

More Americans Are Ending Up Homeless—at a Record Rate

Live Mint  

The U.S. has seen a record increase in homeless people this year as the Covid-19 pandemic fades, according to a Wall Street Journal review of data from around the country. How we compiled the U.S. homeless numbers The Journal reviewed available data from more than 300 entities that count homeless people in areas ranging from cities to entire states. Denver …

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County jumps by 9% in annual count
1 year, 5 months ago

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County jumps by 9% in annual count

Associated Press  

The number of homeless residents counted in Los Angeles County has spiked again, increasing by 9% since last year in the latest marker of how deep the crisis is of people sleeping in cars, encampments or shelters in California. Results released Thursday from a federally required tally conducted in January found 75,518 people were homeless on any given night across …

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County jumps by 9% in annual count
1 year, 5 months ago

Number of homeless residents in Los Angeles County jumps by 9% in annual count

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The number of homeless residents counted in Los …

Homelessness continues to soar, jumping 9% in L.A. County, 10% in the city
1 year, 5 months ago

Homelessness continues to soar, jumping 9% in L.A. County, 10% in the city

LA Times  

Nathaniel Prenters, 44, gathers his belongings before an L.A. sanitation crew arrives at an encampment in the 200 block of South Venice Boulevard. Homelessness continues to rise dramatically, increasing by 9% in Los Angeles County and 10% in the city of Los Angeles last year, a stark illustration of the challenges faced by officials trying to reduce the number of …

L.A. mayor reports that 14,000 homeless people have moved off the streets
1 year, 6 months ago

L.A. mayor reports that 14,000 homeless people have moved off the streets

LA Times  

Tierra Signer waits with her belongings, to get housing under Inside Safe program, along 400 S. San Vicente Boulevard. More than 14,000 people experiencing homelessness have been moved off the streets during the first six months of her administration, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reported Tuesday. Bass said the housing placements resulted from executive directives she enacted upon entering office, …

LA mayor wants $1.3B for homeless crisis, hotels for housing
1 year, 8 months ago

LA mayor wants $1.3B for homeless crisis, hotels for housing

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, who was elected in November after promising to take on the city’s out-of-control homeless crisis, announced Monday she would recommend spending what she called a record $1.3 billion next year to get unhoused people into shelter and treatment programs. Bass’ challenge is in plain sight in just about any neighborhood: homeless people living …

Long Beach’s new mayor calls for state of emergency to tackle homelessness
2 years ago

Long Beach’s new mayor calls for state of emergency to tackle homelessness

LA Times  

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson’s call on Wednesday for city officials to draft an emergency declaration on homelessness is in lockstep with Los Angeles, where newly elected Mayor Karen Bass made a similar declaration last week. Just hours after being sworn in, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson asked city officials Wednesday to draft an emergency declaration on homelessness, a move …

US homeless numbers stay about the same as before pandemic
2 years ago

US homeless numbers stay about the same as before pandemic

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — President Joe Biden’s administration announced Monday that it is ramping up efforts to help house people now sleeping on sidewalks and in tents and cars as a new federal report confirms what’s obvious to people in many cities: Homelessness is persisting despite increased local efforts. The 2022 All In strategy roadmap made public Monday follows a 2010 …

Los Angeles homeless count raises doubts about accuracy. Is it time for a new way?
2 years, 3 months ago

Los Angeles homeless count raises doubts about accuracy. Is it time for a new way?

LA Times  

Jose Luis Camargo washes a skillet outside his camp under an elevated ramp linking the 110 to the 105 Freeway in Los Angeles. “I just don’t think a point-in-time count makes sense of really helping people,” said Connie Brooks, a Venice resident who participates in the unofficial counts that consistently show more than 200 homeless people in the area. “I …

Editorial: Want to fix homelessness in Los Angeles? The pandemic showed us how to do it
2 years, 3 months ago

Editorial: Want to fix homelessness in Los Angeles? The pandemic showed us how to do it

LA Times  

For two years, the county of Los Angeles postponed its annual count of the homeless population due to concerns about COVID. The count revealed that the population of people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County increased just 4% since the 2020 tally, which is significantly smaller than the year-over-year increases in the 2019 and 2020 counts. The city numbers remained …

LA County homeless numbers up but many more went to shelters
2 years, 3 months ago

LA County homeless numbers up but many more went to shelters

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — The number of homeless residents counted in Los Angeles County increased again but at a much slower pace than in previous years, according to figures released Thursday that show that more people left the streets for shelters. By comparison, the county saw a 25.9% rise in the homeless population between 2018 and 2020, said Kristina Dixon, acting …

Number of homeless in O.C. drops by 17% over 3-year period, recent count shows
2 years, 7 months ago

Number of homeless in O.C. drops by 17% over 3-year period, recent count shows

LA Times  

The number of homeless people in Orange County has decreased by about 17% over the last three years, according to a homeless count that was released Wednesday. Finally, we’ve seen an increase in permanent supportive housing and housing choice vouchers dedicated to this specific overall reduction.” Amanda Hood and Fountain Valley Officer Adam Hunter look for homeless people during the …

Greater Los Angeles homeless count resumes after pandemic-related hiatus
2 years, 10 months ago

Greater Los Angeles homeless count resumes after pandemic-related hiatus

LA Times  

Volunteers look for homeless people while participating in the annual Greater Los Angeles homeless count at the North Hollywood Recreation Center on Jan. 21, 2020. After a yearlong hiatus during the pandemic, thousands of volunteers will fan out across Los Angeles County this week to conduct the annual count of the region’s homeless population. Known as the “point-in-time” homeless count, …

Report shows US homelessness rising even before pandemic
3 years, 9 months ago

Report shows US homelessness rising even before pandemic

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Homelessness in America was on the rise even before the coronavirus pandemic dramatically dragged down the economy, according to a government report. The Housing and Urban Development Department’s annual report on homelessness provides a snapshot of the number of homeless people, both sheltered and unsheltered, in America on a single night. The one-night counts are conducted during the …

This year’s homeless count was canceled. Is it time to rethink it?
3 years, 10 months ago

This year’s homeless count was canceled. Is it time to rethink it?

LA Times  

Marisol Barroso, left, a Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority outreach worker, surveys a client named Ace last week in Inglewood. With L.A. County’s annual count of homeless people canceled this year because of the pandemic, some are suggesting it’s time to move on from the massive volunteer effort to a more data-savvy method. The federally mandated Homeless Management Information System, …

Biden’s plans may offer hope to L.A.’s homeless population — if Congress goes along
3 years, 11 months ago

Biden’s plans may offer hope to L.A.’s homeless population — if Congress goes along

LA Times  

After watching a homeless man beat up his girlfriend, Claudia Parola had had it. “That’s what the people who are homeless in L.A. and everywhere need most — access to affordable housing,” Yentel added. it’s achievable.” Yentel and others said that the Biden administration will have a lot of work simply re-staffing HUD and using the rule-making process to undo …

COVID-19 job losses will worsen L.A. homelessness by 2023, new report says
3 years, 11 months ago

COVID-19 job losses will worsen L.A. homelessness by 2023, new report says

LA Times  

Parts of downtown Los Angeles are looking ragged nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Massive job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic nationwide will leave tens of thousands of low-wage workers without homes over the next three years, a report published Tuesday by a Los Angeles-based research group forecasts. Los Angeles County, already struggling with one of the nation’s largest …

Editorial: COVID is surging among homeless people. L.A. needs to do something about it.
3 years, 11 months ago

Editorial: COVID is surging among homeless people. L.A. needs to do something about it.

LA Times  

Los Angeles Police Sgt. For months during the pandemic, homeless people in Los Angeles seemed less susceptible to contracting COVID-19 — a combination of being spurned by others and living by themselves in tents on sidewalks. It also helped that the city and county provided up to 4,000 motel and hotel beds to particularly vulnerable homeless people through a program …

In Pandemic America's Tent Cities, a Grim Future Grows Darker as Funding on Verge of Drying up
4 years ago

In Pandemic America's Tent Cities, a Grim Future Grows Darker as Funding on Verge of Drying up

News 18  

Nadeen Bender stood outside her home, a tattered two-man tent, surrounded by the re-purposed Amazon Prime boxes she uses to store her life’s belongings. To deal with an exploding homeless population and encourage social distancing during the pandemic, Marcipoa County officials turned this pair of asphalt-topped parking lots into the area’s newest homeless shelter. “It’s not just the pandemic, it’s …

Have L.A.’s homeless people dodged a COVID-19 catastrophe?
4 years, 4 months ago

Have L.A.’s homeless people dodged a COVID-19 catastrophe?

LA Times  

When the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, advocates predicted that a “time bomb” was about to go off in the homeless community. But most of those infected had no symptoms: In Boston, where every shelter resident was tested, the asymptomatic rate was 70% to 90%, said Dr. James O’Connell, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and president of Boston Health Care for …

Does L.A. count its homeless, or make its best guess? A little of both, it turns out
4 years, 4 months ago

Does L.A. count its homeless, or make its best guess? A little of both, it turns out

LA Times  

Gospel musician Clemmie Williams was living homeless in North Hollywood Park in January, when a count of homeless people is overseen by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Although the change does not affect the countywide totals reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, it highlights an uncomfortable truth about LAHSA’s annual reports: The much-discussed “counts” of …

Discover Related