By: Elaine Xu

In late 2022, Mayor Karen Bass started moving homeless Los Angeles residents into motels. Blocked sidewalks were cleared, and belongings were removed from freeway underpasses, freeing up space for public use.

On June 21, Ms. Bass and the people who helped her received good news: According to the region’s most recent count in January, the homeless rate in LA decreased for the first time in six years.

Despite a June 21 Supreme Court decision that could allow for stricter public sleeping bans, Los Angeles Mayor Bass highlighted the city’s success in getting people off the streets and argued that arrests are not the answer to homelessness.

Mayor Bass disapproves of the Supreme Court’s decision. “We know for a fact it will not work,” she said of arresting people who are homeless. “It will not get people housed. It will not get people off our streets,” she said at a Friday news conference.

Los Angeles, the second-biggest city in the US, has fewer homeless people now than in years past. The total number of homeless individuals has gone down by 2.2%, and the number of people living unsheltered, on the streets, in tents, or in cars has decreased by 10.4%. Fewer homeless people is a nice change for residents who have been concerned about homeless people for years.

Counting homeless people is one of the few ways to see if efforts are working. Leaders in Los Angeles are really happy about this change because this year’s count shows a decrease. Finally having fewer homeless people is a big win after years of spending money without seeing progress.

Dr. Margot Kushel, director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California, San Francisco, says the change might not last long.“If the underlying economic conditions don’t change, and if the money gets cut, you’re going to see an increase again,” she said to the New York Times. “The hope is we’ll see signs of progress and they’ll continue to make those absolutely essential investments.”

While challenges remain, Los Angeles’ recent decrease in homelessness offers hope, proving that targeted solutions can make a difference.

Image Credit: https://citylimits.org/2022/09/21/the-nypd-now-decides-what-homeless-encampments-get-swept/