Last week, local officials and volunteers banded together for the annual Homeless Count, which aims to assess the number of people living on the streets in Los Angeles County. The work provides a benchmark for the county as attempts are made to curb the housing crisis.
When Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was elected, her first act was to declare a state of emergency for homelessness in the city. The year since has seen the launch of the Inside Safe program, which helps get those living in encampments into housing. The results of the Homeless Count, which will not be reported for several weeks, will be the first major indicator of the program’s effectiveness.
“Homelessness is an emergency, and it will take all of us working together to confront this emergency,” Bass said.