Downey homeless population drops 37% in one year

A man cooks outside the now-closed Big Lots store in Downey. (Photo by Alex Dominguez)

After five years of steady rises, the total number of people experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles region dropped slightly in 2024, according to numbers from the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count that were released Friday.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a joint powers agency of the city and county of L.A., announced the numbers during a Friday morning news conference, detailing data that was gathered during an annual point-in-time survey conducted by hundreds of volunteers all across the region from Jan. 24- 26.

In Downey, 82 homeless people were counted, down from 119 in 2023.

Of those 82 people, 16 were found living in cars, 12 in vans, 14 in RVs, 13 in tents and 46 in makeshift shelters.

According to the report:

-- There were 75,312 unhoused people in the county in 2024 compared to 75,518 in 2023, a dip of 0.27%;

-- there were 45,252 unhoused individuals in the city of L.A. in 2024 compared to 46,260 in 2023, a drop of 2.2%,

-- there was a reduction in unsheltered homelessness in L.A. County, with a 5.1% decrease compared to last year, while the shelter count increased by 12.7%, and

-- unsheltered homelessness in the city of L.A. decreased by approximately 10.7%, while the shelter count increased by 17.7%.

Officials attributed the downward trends to “unprecedented policy alignment and investments” made by the city, county, state and federal governments, according to Paul Rubenstein, LAHSA deputy chief of external relations.

The results marked a new direction in how the county and city are addressing homelessness -- compared to the steady climb since 2018 when there were 52,765 homeless counted in the county, and 31,285 in the city.

With more unhoused individuals entering shelter or other forms of temporary housing, Rubenstein said officials are “cautiously optimistic about the direction of homelessness across L.A. County” and are in a position to move more people off the streets and into permanent housing.

“For so many years, the count has shown increases in homelessness, and we have all felt that in our neighborhoods,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement soon after the latest numbers were released.

“But we leaned into change. And we have changed the trajectory of this crisis and have moved L.A. in a new direction. ... This is not the end, it is the beginning -- and we will build on this progress, together.”

L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, meanwhile, released a statement saying, “For the first time in years, the number of people sleeping on our streets is down and the number of people in our shelters is up. We have focused on shelters and we are doing a better job convincing people to come inside. The next step is building more permanent supportive housing and investing in long- term solutions to this crisis.”

Board Chair and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath described the results as “validation, not victory.” She added, “We must continue to move with urgency across all levels of government and in every community in Los Angeles County to bring our unhoused neighbors inside.”

The count also noted a reduction in chronic homelessness in the L.A. Continuum of Care, covering most of L.A. County except the cities of Long Beach, Pasadena and Glendale. There were 6.8% fewer people experiencing chronic homelessness -- a term used to describe individuals who have been homeless for more than a year while struggling with a disabling condition -- compared to 2023, the report said.

“Our coordinated efforts are moving the needle and we have to stick together in addition to moving people into interim housing,” Rubenstein said. “The rehousing system also gained significant momentum this year.”

He added, “At this rate, if we could stop anyone else from becoming homeless today, we could end homelessness in just a few years.”

In addition, the 2024 count showed family homelessness increased by 2.2%, though many families are in temporary housing. Among transition-age youth -- individuals coming out of the foster system between the ages of 16-24 -- homelessness decreased by 16.2% and veteran homelessness decreased by 22.9%.

LAHSA reported that about 22% of unhoused individuals report experiencing serious mental illness.