The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has come under fire for making significant last-minute revisions to the 2025 homeless count, which resulted in the removal of over 400 sheltered individuals from the city’s total count. This change, which was implemented just days before the public release of the findings, was made without prior notification to elected officials who had already been briefed on the counts.
On July 7, LAHSA briefed local elected officials and their staff, indicating a decline in overall homelessness within the city of L.A. by 2.5%. However, following the agency’s announcement this week, the reduction was revised to a greater 3.4%.
The alterations had the effect of reducing the city’s homeless count from 44,136 to 43,699, with a decrease of 475 in the sheltered count and an increase of 38 in the unsheltered estimate. Questions regarding these adjustments arose after LAist inquired about the authentic numbers, leading LAHSA to finally communicate the changes to city elected officials the day after the statistical release.
Councilmember Monica Rodriguez expressed her dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency, arguing that timely communication is necessary, especially when taxpayer dollars are involved in addressing such critical issues. Rodriguez pointed out that LAHSA had repeatedly delayed their briefing to officials, which further fueled concerns about the withholding of important information.
LAHSA spokesperson Ahmad Chapman responded, stating that the last-minute changes were due to a misclassification of several hundred interim housing units as being located within the city. He clarified that the error stemmed from the organization’s new housing inventory system, which did not align with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) requirements for classifying scattered site beds.
Despite the revisions not changing the homeless population estimates across the entire L.A. County, the city’s total was significantly impacted. The agency faced criticism for not making these updates known to city leaders during the briefing session. Questions about LAHSA’s earlier numbers were only addressed after LAist sought clarifications regarding the discrepancies.
The housing count data was collected earlier in February as part of a federally mandated tally, and though LAHSA stated that they had corrected the classifications before the public announcement, the agency did not proactively inform elected officials until inquiries were made.
LAHSA has historically faced challenges in accurately defining and gathering data on the homeless population. Councilmember John Lee raised concerns about the number of shelter beds in his district, suggesting that the count might not reflect reality on the ground. He reported having worked to increase shelter beds but questioned LAHSA’s figures showing low occupancy rates.
As the narrative of homelessness continues to unfold in Los Angeles, the agency’s credibility hangs in the balance as officials and the public demand accountability and accuracy in documenting this pressing issue.
LAHSA did note that they identified the misassignment of multi-site housing programs prior to the data’s finalization, which they say is necessary to conform with federal guidelines. The high stakes and public interest in homelessness statistics underline the importance of accuracy in these counts; mistakes can lead to misdirected resources and policies.
In the wake of these changes, several city council members have expressed a desire for LAHSA to share more complete information regarding revisions and methodology used to compile the homeless statistics. Officials seek clarity to understand how the agency arrived at their numbers and how sheltered definitions are applied and verified.
LAHSA’s annual homeless count is conducted in compliance with HUD guidelines, emphasizing the organization’s intent to operate within federal standards. However, the opaque handling of the revisions raises the need for greater transparency from the agency to ensure public trust.
The upcoming public release of further information regarding the 2025 homeless count is anticipated to include breakdowns by district and demographic details about the unhoused population, potentially providing insights into the realities faced by vulnerable communities.
As scrutiny intensifies over the methodologies employed by LAHSA, it remains essential for any developed initiatives, policies, and resource allocations to be based firmly on accurate and transparent data. Addressing homelessness fundamentally requires reliable statistics that can effectively inform action, ensure accountability, and ultimately lead to lasting change.
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