LA's homeless count rose by more than half after 2016

What this chart asks

Did the number of people counted homeless in Los Angeles fall as homelessness spending grew?

Why it is shown this way

• A line per area shows the trend over twelve count years; the y axis starts at zero so the size of the rise is not exaggerated.
• Years are ordinal so the missing 2021 count keeps its slot and the line breaks there.

Chart annotations

These markers provide relevant context for interpreting the chart. Their timing or position does not, by itself, establish causation.

No 2021 count

2021

LAHSA did not conduct the unsheltered count during COVID-19.

Data and accessibility

Download chart data · Open accessible table · Download PNG · Download SVG

Dataset la-homelessness-counts-spending, analysis count-series

Sources

This chart draws on the sources of the dataset versions it visualizes.

Los Angeles homeless counts and homelessness budgets, 2015-2026

1. LAHSA, 2026 Homeless Count Reveals Bottleneck Stymied Progress (news release, July 24, 2026) 2026 county total (73,040) and city total (45,194); unsheltered 49,002 county and 29,115 city.

   Retrieved October 30, 2026. Public agency release. Figures only; linked, not rehosted.

   Reliability: Government. Has a stake in this finding. LAHSA conducts the count and runs much of the system it measures. USC estimates the count from volunteer tallies, shelter data and surveys.

2. LAHSA, Declining Homelessness Is Now A Trend In Los Angeles County (press release, July 14, 2025, as distributed) 2025 county total (72,308) and city total (43,699) as first released.

   Retrieved October 30, 2026. Public agency release. Figures only; linked, not rehosted.

   Reliability: Government. Has a stake in this finding. Distributed copy of LAHSA's own release; LAHSA later used a slightly revised 2025 base when computing the 2026 change.

3. Spectrum News 1, Homelessness in Los Angeles falls for second year (July 14, 2025) 2024 totals (75,312 county; 45,252 city) and 2025 city unsheltered change.

   Retrieved October 30, 2026. News article. Figures only; linked.

   Reliability: News report. Local TV news report summarizing LAHSA's released figures.

4. Los Angeles Business Journal, 2017 homeless count report 2016 and 2017 county totals and 2017 city total (2016 city total, 28,464, from other coverage of the same LAHSA release).

   Retrieved October 30, 2026. News article. Figures only; linked.

   Reliability: News report. Business newspaper report on LAHSA's 2017 release.

5. City of LA CAO, Prop HHH Citizens Oversight Committee, Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count 2019 Results (July 2019) 2018 county total (52,765) and 2019 county (58,936) and city (36,300) totals.

   Retrieved October 30, 2026. Public agency document. Figures only; linked.

   Reliability: Government. Has a stake in this finding. LAHSA slide deck presented to the city's Prop HHH oversight committee.

6. Los Angeles Almanac, Homelessness in Los Angeles County 2026 Compiled LAHSA series: 2015, 2020, 2022-2023 totals and unsheltered counts for 2022-2026.

   Retrieved October 30, 2026. All rights reserved (figures are LAHSA's). Figures only; linked.

   Reliability: Reference work. Private reference site that republishes LAHSA count tables. Its 2017 and 2019 county rows show the Continuum of Care figures (which exclude Glendale, Pasadena and Long Beach), so this dataset takes those two years from LAHSA's own releases instead.

7. LAist, LA homelessness rose (July 24, 2026; updated Aug. 11, 2026) City homelessness budget of about $139 million in 2016 (linking the city's 2016-17 budget summary) and nearly $1 billion by 2026.

   Retrieved October 30, 2026. News article. Figures only; linked.

   Reliability: News report. Public radio newsroom; cites the city budget summary, LAHSA audited statements and HUD inventory reports.

8. City of LA CAO, 2020-21 Proposed Budget, Homelessness section 2019-20 adopted homeless budget total of $428,542,462.

   Retrieved October 30, 2026. Public agency document. Figures only; linked.

   Reliability: Government. The City Administrative Officer's budget document; budget, not actual spending.

9. Alvarez & Marsal, Independent Assessment of City-Funded Homelessness Assistance Programs (Dkt. 905, May 14, 2025) FY2023-24 city Homeless Budget of approximately $1.3 billion; $3.6 billion FY2020-21 through FY2023-24.

   Retrieved October 30, 2026. Court record. Figures only; linked.

   Reliability: Other. Consultant retained by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter in LA Alliance v. City of Los Angeles; describes its work as an assessment, not an audit.

10. LA County Board letter, Measure H funding recommendations (June 13, 2017) First-year Measure H spending level of $259 million (FY2017-18).

    Retrieved October 30, 2026. Public agency document. Figures only; linked.

    Reliability: Government. County CEO's recommendation adopted by the Board of Supervisors.

11. LA County Homeless Initiative, FY2024-25 Funding Recommendations (Feb. 6, 2024) Total FY2024-25 Homeless Initiative spending plan of $782,997,000.

    Retrieved October 30, 2026. Public agency document. Figures only; linked.

    Reliability: Government. Board letter; a spending plan, not audited actual spending.

12. LA County Homeless Initiative, Fiscal Year 2025-26 Approved Funding Recommendations $908 million in approved FY2025-26 funding recommendations.

    Retrieved October 30, 2026. Public agency page. Figures only; linked.

    Reliability: Government. County page describing the Board's March 2025 approval.

Limitations

• Single-night estimates with changing methods; RAND found the official count missed a growing share of unsheltered people in three neighborhoods in 2024-2025.
• No count in 2021.
• Figures as first released; LAHSA's own 2026 comparison uses a slightly revised 2025 base.