The number of people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles, at approximately 69,000, surpassed that of New York City and has increased by roughly 56 percent from 2015 to 2022. Senior partners Ashwin Adarkar, Tim Ward, Jonathan Woetzel, and coauthors note that on average, for every 207 people who exit homelessness daily, 227 more enter. Potential solutions to the crisis include increasing the stock of affordable housing and improving collaboration among public and private agencies.
Image description:
A Sankey diagram displays the number of people entering and leaving homelessness every day in Los Angeles in 2022. On average, 227 Angelenos enter homelessness every day. The diagram shows through proportional flows where the 227 people fit within the various levels of homelessness, such as chronic or nonchronic. As indicated in the diagram, 20 people, on average, enter homelessness daily in Los Angeles and do not exit it again immediately. The diagram shows these 20 people entering the homelessness cycle again, moving from nonchronic to chronic homelessness. The diagram also shows that, on average, 5 homeless people die in Los Angeles every day.
Footnote 1: All returning entrants were classified as chronic, while new entrants were classified as either chronic or nonchronic based on Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Point in Time Counts from 2022 (41% of people experiencing homelessness are chronic and 59% are nonchronic). For chronic populations, 17% are sheltered and 83% are unsheltered. For nonchronic populations, 39% are sheltered and 61% are unsheltered.
Footnote 2: Based on exits composed of 70% self-resolution, with a 7.7% 6-month return to homelessness; 22% permanent supportive housing, with a 9.8% 6-month return to homelessness; and 8% rapid rehousing, with a 5.7% 6-month return to homelessness.
Footnote 3: Based on 600,000 households.
Source: County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office; LA County Department of Public Health; Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
End of image description.
To read the report, see “Homelessness in Los Angeles: A unique crisis demanding new solutions,” March 24, 2023.