News Summary
A new report from the RAND Corporation reveals a serious underreporting of the homeless population in Los Angeles, indicating a 32% undercount in key neighborhoods. The official homeless count by LAHSA estimates that nearly 7,900 individuals may be uncounted, highlighting systemic issues in the counting methodology that could misallocate over $300 million in funding for homeless services. This challenge threatens effective resource distribution and the city’s efforts to address homelessness.
Los Angeles
A report from the RAND Corporation released today reveals a significant underreporting of the homeless population in three key neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The official homeless count conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) captured only 68% of the unsheltered population in Skid Row, Venice, and Hollywood, reflecting a 32% undercount in 2024, an increase from a 26% undercount in the previous year.
This alarming discrepancy suggests that LAHSA’s annual homeless count has seen a decrease in accuracy over the past two years, according to RAND researchers. They conducted their own professional homeless count in the same neighborhoods and asserted that LAHSA’s estimates have consistently underestimated the actual number of individuals experiencing homelessness.
In fact, despite claims that homelessness is declining in these areas, the latest findings indicate a potential 7,900 individuals might be uncounted based on the comparison between RAND’s analysis and LAHSA’s recent count. The official accuracy ratings showed Hollywood at 81%, Skid Row at just 61%, and Venice at 76%.
One critical factor contributing to this undercount is the rising number of “rough sleepers,” or those living outdoors without tents or vehicles. These individuals are more challenging to track and are often overlooked in annual counts. Compounding this issue, LAHSA’s initiative, Inside Safe, which removes tent encampments, has further affected the breakdown of the homeless population.
The report warns that this undercount could misdirect over $300 million in funding for homeless services that depend on accurate counts. The funding includes approximately $220 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and about $96 million from local sales tax initiatives. Misestimations in the homeless count could lead to cities receiving differing amounts of funding per unsheltered person, thus exacerbating inequalities in resource distribution across the city.
LAHSA, which relies on thousands of volunteers to conduct these counts, has faced technical challenges, particularly relating to a mobile app used since 2022. Analyzing past audits from 2017, inconsistencies in LA’s methods for counting the homeless population raised concerns about the reliability of their estimates. RAND recommends that LAHSA employs professional field teams to verify volunteer counts, which could enhance accuracy in future assessments.
LAHSA Chief Executive Gita O’Neill has expressed an interest in collaborating with RAND researchers for further follow-up counts, yet has not commented on the specifics of the current findings. The RAND report emphasizes the need to address the flaws in LAHSA’s counting methodology, arguing that such inadequacies threaten to misallocate vital funding necessary for addressing homelessness in Los Angeles.
Overall, this issue of underreporting underscores a significant challenge within the Los Angeles homelessness response framework. The systemic failures in counting methods not only complicate the efforts to assess the true scope of homelessness but also have large implications for the funding and resources aimed at alleviating the crisis.
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Additional Resources
- LAist: LAHSA Homeless Count and RAND Accuracy Report
- Wikipedia: Homelessness in the United States
- CityWatch LA: Who’s in Charge of Homelessness in Los Angeles
- Google Search: homeless services Los Angeles
- LAist: Compliance Agreement to Create Shelter for Unhoused People
- Google Scholar: homelessness counts Los Angeles
- LA Times: Gibson Dunn & Crutcher and Los Angeles Homelessness
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Homelessness
Author: STAFF HERE HOLLYWOOD
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