Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger released the following statement regarding the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority’s 2024 Los Angeles Homeless Count results and the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on homeless encampments:
“Today’s Point in Time Count results estimate that Los Angeles County has more than 75,000 individuals experiencing homelessness. That big number, along with the finding that about one-fourth of those self-report serious mental illness and substance use disorder, fuels a set of moral imperatives for County and city leaders alike: cut red tape, build more housing faster, and offer more mental health support and addiction treatment.
To decrease the number of homeless individuals living on our streets, we need to use every tool available to compassionately extend housing hand in hand with supportive services. We must also be balanced in our approach to enforcement so that communities can enjoy public spaces taken over by homeless encampments. The Supreme Court ruling empowers local governments to make judicious decisions about when to apply enforcement.
I want to be clear: the criminalization of people experiencing homelessness is wrong. But, having another tool to make measurable and effective change is critical. Our County and its cities must work collaboratively and in sync with one another so that we can successfully end homelessness. Homelessness is not a problem that can simply be shuffled around.”