County leaders on Thursday revealed the 2018 Homeless Count Results which, for the first time in four years, show a decrease in homelessness in LA County. The results show a 3-percent decrease in homelessness since the last count, as well as a 16-percent decrease in the number of chronically homeless individuals and an 18-percent decrease in veteran homelessness, according to Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office.
“We are still in the early stages of implementing our homeless initiatives, but these numbers show that our strategies are the right ones and we are beginning to make progress,” Hahn said. “These results should give us the confidence to double down on our efforts. There are still more than 53,000 people on the streets and they should know that help is on the way.”
Hahn coauthored the motion to put Measure H on the ballot. Measure H, a quarter-cent sales tax which passed last March, has since been used to contribute $259 million toward a countywide effort to provide services and housing for homeless residents.
“These results give us a lot of statistics about the current population of homeless residents,” Hahn said. “But one thing I think we can all celebrate is the significant decrease in veterans experiencing homelessness.”
While the latest results provide some good news, they also show that the forces driving people into homelessness are as strong as ever. Despite the fact that a record number of homeless individuals were able to move into homes last year, a record number of people fell into homelessness as well.
Source: Hahn’s office
