Prevalence

Homelessness

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) describes persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) as one of the following:

  • Individuals or family who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, this can include living in an emergency shelter, transitional housing, or a place not intended for habitation.
  • Individuals or family who imminently lose their primary nighttime residence (within 14 days), provided no subsequent housing has been identified and the individual/family lacks support networks or resources needed to obtain housing.
  • Unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age, or families with children who qualify under other Federal statutes, such as the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, have not had a lease or ownership interest in a housing unit in the last 60 or more days, have had two or more moves in the last 60 days, and who are lively to continue to be unstably housed because of disability or multiple barrier to employment.
  • An individual or family who is fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, has no other residence, and lacks the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing.

Population Count

Los Angeles County Overall
According to the Los Angeles Continuum of Care point-in-time homeless count, in 2023 January, there were estimated 75,518 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County.

Among PEH counted in LAC in 2023 January, 73% were were unsheltered (Figure ).

Among PEH counted in LAC in 2023 January, 67% were males and 31% were female (Figure ).

In general, people aged 35-44 (23%), 25-34(19%) and 45-54(19%) had accounted for the majority of the PEH population (Figure ).

Black (43%) and White (41%) had comprised of the majority of PEH in Los Angeles Countmisusers were most likely to believe it is OK to take more than the recommended dosage of prescription medication, while white non-users were the least likely (Figure 5). 

Los Angeles County Cities
According to the Los Angeles Continuum of Care point-in-time homeless count, in 2023 January, there were 3,447 people experiencing homelessness counted in the City of Long Beach, 556 counted in Pasadena and 195 counted in Glendale.

LA City Council District 14 had the most PEH population counted in 2023 January among all Council Districts (Figure ).

Long Beach (82%) had accounted for the most PEH population among the COC cities in LAC in 2023 January (Figure ).

Among PEH counted in LAC cities in 2023 January, number of males was higher than females across the cities (Figure ).

People aged 45-64 had the most number of PEH across the cities (Figure ).

Multi-race/ethnic misusers were most likely to believe it is OK to take more than the recommended dosage of prescription medication, while white non-users were the least likely (Figure 5). 

Substance Use Disorder

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, an estimated 23.8% (n=16,447) of LAC PEH reportedly had substance use disorder (SUD), which was higher than the national estimate of 16.3% (Figure 10). Only 10% (n=1,786) of PEH with SUD reported staying in sheltered locations (emergency shelters, transitional housing, or other temporary settings), leaving 14,679 (89.3%) reportedly staying in unsheltered locations (public or private place not designated for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for people, such as the streets, vehicles, or parks) (Figure 11).

Estimates for PEH prevalence can vary depending on the method of how counts are collected and assessed. The point in time data collected can change due to mobility of individuals, and can change if there are differing definition of homelessness. Specifically, for 2019, an estimated 46% of LAC PEH were identified as having SUD compared to 13% reported by LAHSA (Smith & Oreskes, 2019). 

SUD by LAC Continuum of Care

In LAC, there are four separate Continuum of Care (CoC) programs that provide point-in-time unduplicated PEH counts to HUD on shelter status and specific populations among PEH, these include Los Angeles (all LAC except cities with their own CoC), Long Beach, Pasadena, and Glendale. In 2022, an estimated 15,353 PEH were reported as having SUD in Los Angeles, which amounted to nearly a quarter (22.2%) of all PEH in the Los Angeles CoC region. In the remaining LAC CoC’s, there were an estimated 951 (28.9%) PEH with SUD in Long Beach, 121 (23.6%) in Pasadena, and 22 (13.8%) in Glendale (Figure ).

Across all LAC CoC’s, the majority of PEH with SUD were identified as unsheltered in 2022. Los Angeles had the lowest proportion (10.0%) of sheltered PEH with SUD in the Los Angeles CoC region with reportedly 1,546 sheltered. Proportions were also low for Long Beach (19.1%, n=182) and Glendale (29%, n=9), while 40.5% of PEH with SUD in Pasadena were reportedly sheltered (Figure ).

References

Figures 1-. Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Continuum of Care (COC) Homeless Count Estimate, 2023.

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (USHUD). 2022. HUD 2022 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs Homeless Populations and Subpopulations. Retrieved from https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/coc-homeless-populations-and-subpopulations-reports/.

Smith D., Oreskes B. (2019, Oct 7). Are many homeless in L.A. mentally ill? New Findings back the public’s perception. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-07/homeless-population-mental-illness-disability