For the first time in nearly two decades, Los Angeles has recorded a second consecutive year of declining homelessness, according to the results of the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). The data shows a 17.5% decrease in street homelessness in the City of Los Angeles since Mayor Karen Bass took office, reflecting a sharp departure from years of steady increases. The Point-in-Time Count, conducted in partnership with the University of Southern California and under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines, highlights a turning point in the city’s effort to tackle the crisis.
Mayor Bass credited the decline to her administration’s aggressive shift away from the failed status quo of leaving people on the streets until permanent housing was available. “Homelessness has gone down two years in a row because we chose to act with urgency and reject the broken status quo,” said Bass. “These numbers represent thousands of people now safely indoors and neighborhoods beginning to heal. Change is possible when we refuse to accept encampments as normal and refuse to leave people behind.” She recognized key partners, including the Inside Safe team, Councilwoman Nithya Raman, and LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, for their role in driving the citywide progress.
Since declaring a state of emergency on her first day in office, Mayor Bass has launched her signature Inside Safe initiative, resolving more than 100 longstanding encampments and moving thousands indoors. Data shows permanent housing placements have reached all-time highs, while makeshift shelters, tents, and RV encampments have declined by 13.5%. RAND Corporation research released earlier this month also pointed to significant reductions in homelessness in key areas like Hollywood and Venice, further validating the approach.
Despite these gains, city and county leaders acknowledge the road ahead remains challenging. Tens of thousands remain unhoused, with new individuals entering homelessness faster than the system can rehouse them. Mayor Bass vowed to keep pressing forward. “My commitment to confront this crisis is stronger and more urgent than ever,” she said. Regional leaders echoed the call for continued collaboration, emphasizing the need for sustained investment and expanded housing solutions to ensure these hard-fought gains continue.
“Are there still unhoused Angelenos? Yes. Are there still encampments? Yes. Is reducing homelessness by having people in hotels still very expensive, and do we need to look for more cost-effective ways? Yes. But all of these are steps forward,” Bass said.