LA Homeless Count Shows Progress: 10% Drop in 2025

Los Angeles is turning a corner on homelessness, and hundreds of volunteers are helping prove it.

This week, community members are fanning out across the San Fernando Valley and metro Los Angeles for the annual three-night Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. The count provides a snapshot of who needs help across LA County, except for Long Beach, Pasadena, and Glendale, which run their own tallies.

Last year's results brought genuinely hopeful news. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) reported that homelessness fell 4% across LA County in 2025. Even more encouraging, unsheltered homelessness dropped nearly 10% countywide and 7.9% in the city itself.

"You look back even decades prior, we had not seen a reduction in unsheltered homeless," said Governor Gavin Newsom. "We saw a 9%, almost 10% decline, in unsheltered homelessness throughout the state of California. We are seeing real progress and we are investing in what we know works."

The count runs through Thursday, with volunteers covering different regions each night. Wednesday brings teams to the San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles, while Thursday wraps up in the Antelope Valley, West and South LA, and the South Bay/Harbor region.

LAHSA has made the process easier for volunteers this year. The agency simplified training materials and improved its app-based data collection system, now in its fourth year. More staff will provide technical support at deployment sites to help volunteers collect materials and complete counts quickly.

Special teams from the county's Department of Health Services will handle dangerous or hard-to-reach areas like basins, creeks, and desert locations. This keeps community volunteers safe while ensuring every person is counted.

The agency also overhauled its approach to counting young people and those in shelters. The Youth Count now runs nine additional days for people aged 10 to 19, while the Housing Inventory Count starts earlier to improve accuracy.

The Ripple Effect

These numbers represent more than statistics. Every percentage point drop means hundreds of people moving from streets into shelter, from temporary housing into permanent homes. The improvements show that sustained investment and community involvement actually work.

The results from this year's count will be released in late spring or early summer. If trends continue, they could mark another year of measurable progress in one of California's most persistent challenges.

One count, three nights, and hundreds of volunteers working together to help their neighbors find their way home.