Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued the following statement today:
“The annual homeless count provides valuable information, but it is only one measure of our work and does not reflect the full picture of the challenges that remain.
I was encouraged to see a 37% reduction in unsheltered homelessness in the Antelope Valley, demonstrating that focused strategies can make a meaningful difference. That said, I also understand how the public measures success. Residents look to our streets as the most visible indicator of whether we’re making progress, and too many still see people living in crisis. We have to acknowledge that reality.
If we want fundamentally different outcomes, we must be willing to address the biggest barriers standing in our way. Los Angeles County cannot solve this crisis through housing alone. We also need the ability to provide timely, intensive treatment for individuals experiencing severe mental illness and substance use disorders. For years, I have advocated for greater local flexibility to expand access to those services because outdated federal restrictions continue to limit our ability to treat people at the scale this crisis demands. Notably, even the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has recognized that securing federal IMD waivers to expand mental health treatment capacity must be part of the solution.
We owe taxpayers accountability. We owe our communities safer and healthier neighborhoods. And, most importantly, we owe people experiencing homelessness every opportunity to recover and rebuild their lives. That remains my focus.”