Watch CBS News

Homeless Population In LA County Jumps By 12 Percent; Nearly 59,000 Living On The Streets

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - The number of homeless people in Los Angeles County surged by 12 percent over the last year to nearly 59,000 living on the streets, according to data released Tuesday.

Of that number, almost three-fourths of those people are sleeping in cars, tents and other makeshift shelters, according to the county's 2019 Biennial Homeless Count.

That number represents a roughly 50 percent increase since 2011 and totals a population equivalent to that of Arcadia, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The data was presented by Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) executive director Peter Lynn during Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting.

"We have the largest unsheltered population in the nation and one of the largest homeless counts across America. Only New York has more people experiencing homelessness on any given night," said Lynn.

The city of Los Angeles saw a 16 percent increase in its numbers.

Long Beach, by comparison, saw a slight decrease - 2 percent - in the number of people experiencing homeless in 2019, with levels roughly 40 percent below numbers in 2011.

The 2019 count found 1,894 people in Long Beach were homeless in 2019, compared with 1,863 in 2017 - a difference of 31 individuals.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.