The survey, designed by the University of Southern California, reported a 17.5% drop—the largest two-year decrease on record
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released the 2025 Annual Homeless Count on Monday, revealing a historic second consecutive year of declining homelessness in the city, a milestone not seen since the count began in 2005. The survey, designed by the University of Southern California and aligned with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards, reported a 17.5% drop in street homelessness since Mayor Karen Bass took office in December 2022—the largest two-year decrease on record.
The count highlighted a 13.5% reduction in makeshift shelters, including tents, cars, vans, and RVs, and an all-time high in permanent housing placements. Overall, homelessness in Los Angeles has decreased, bucking previous upward trends, with a notable 49% decline in street homelessness in Hollywood linked to Bass’s Inside Safe program, according to a recent RAND Corporation report.
Mayor Bass credited the progress to her administration’s urgent response, rejecting the previous approach of leaving people on the streets until permanent housing was available. “These results aren’t just data points—they represent thousands of human beings who are now inside, and neighborhoods that are beginning to heal,” Bass said, praising the Inside Safe initiative, which has resolved over 100 encampments citywide, and partnerships with Councilmember Nithya Raman and LAHSA CEO Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum.
Community leaders echoed the sentiment. Marvin Rostran, a Pico Union resident, noted the impact of Inside Safe on his neighborhood, allowing safe sidewalks and school access. Tracy Hernandez of the Los Angeles County Business Federation hailed the decline as a regional success, urging further action. Steve Nissen of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce reported visible improvements, while Johng Ho Song of Koreatown Youth and Community Center emphasized collaborative progress.
Elected officials also weighed in. Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson cited Measure HHH housing and Inside Safe as key factors, while U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove pledged continued federal support. Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur highlighted legislation like AB 2525 to aid Inside Safe, and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath announced a new county department to enhance accountability, noting a 4% countywide decline to 72,308 unhoused individuals. Despite progress, Horvath stressed the need for bolder action, as seven lives are lost daily on the streets.
