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Houseless Angelenos

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Benjamin Henwood, PhD, LCSW�Professor of Social Work, USC

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Thanks to: Randall Kuhn, Amanda Landrian Gonzalez, Jared Schachner, Elly Schoen

And Jessie Chien, Patricia St. Clair, Scot Hickey, Stephanie Kwack, Justin Culetu

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While homelessness surged over the past decade—largely among unsheltered residents—2025 marks the first significant decrease in years.

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Black Angelenos face a stark disparity in homelessness, representing 32% of the unhoused population but only 7% of the county’s residents.

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Unhoused people bear a high burden of health conditions, particular those who are unsheltered.

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Long-term homelessness is widespread, with over 80% of unsheltered survey respondents unhoused for over a year and more than one-third for over five years.

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Most people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in LA County were last housed locally, highlighting that the crisis is driven by regional affordability—not migration.

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Vehicles have become the dominant form of visible unsheltered homelessness, even as counts of all categories have dropped since 2023.