The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released its 2026 annual homeless count Friday, finding overall homelessness increased 3.4% in LA and 1.2% across the Los Angeles Continuum of Care following two consecutive years of declines. The count estimated 45,194 people were experiencing homelessness in the city and 73,040 across the Continuum of Care, which excludes Long Beach, Pasadena and Glendale.
LAHSA noted that neither change is considered statistically significant. Street homelessness rose 7.9% in Los Angeles and 3.3% countywide, with an estimated 29,115 people living on the streets in the city. Funding cuts affecting Time-Limited Subsidies and other economic factors reduced the number of people permanently housed by about 5,100 from the record high of 28,625 people housed permanently in 2024.
What the Right Is Saying
John Alle, a Santa Monica business owner and co-founder of the Santa Monica Coalition who owns properties across Los Angeles, offered a sharp critique of Bass's leadership. "She doesn't get it. She doesn't see it," Alle told Fox News Digital. "We've invited her numerous times to ride along with us through Alvarado, Third Street, Park View, MacArthur Park and Westlake. Come drive with us. Have a police officer follow behind for security. And she refused."
Alle described conditions in neighborhoods including Little Bangladesh, which Bass has previously called one of "LA's most vibrant communities," saying crime has worsened significantly. "In Little Bangladesh, the crime is so bad that we're finding people on the streets unconscious," he said. "We're having handymen pick up needles and dispose of them." He pointed to conditions near his own properties at Getty House in Windsor Square, where Bass resides: "The streetlights are out. The rubbish isn't collected. The streets are dirty."
Small business owners have also raised concerns about the crisis's impact on commercial corridors. Alle said merchants are being forced to close early to avoid crime. "When I see them having to leave work at four o'clock, I see them having to close their businesses at four o'clock during the winter and at dusk during the summer," he said. "That's not good. I want them to succeed." Critics have called for stronger enforcement measures and more accountability in how homelessness funding is spent.
What the Left Is Saying
Mayor Karen Bass defended her administration's record in a press release Thursday, arguing that funding cuts at the federal and state levels contributed to the rise. "For two years straight, we drove down homelessness by historic margins — but as expected, last year our efforts ultimately couldn't keep up with policies and funding cuts at the federal and state levels that pushed more people onto the streets," she said.
Bass specifically criticized the Trump administration, stating it had "driven up the cost of gas, groceries, and rent — pushing more families to the edge — and slashed critical safety net funding." She also acknowledged in a May interview with CNN's Elex Michaelson that she did not fulfill her promise to end street homelessness by 2026 because she "didn't anticipate some of the bureaucratic barriers" her administration would face.
Progressive advocates have generally supported Bass's approach, noting that Los Angeles implemented the state's first sanctioned homeless encampment sites under her leadership and expanded mental health crisis response teams. Supporters argue that addressing homelessness requires sustained federal investment and that local governments cannot solve a national housing affordability crisis alone without significant state and federal partnership.
What the Numbers Show
The 2026 LAHSA homeless count revealed the following key figures: Overall homelessness increased 3.4% in Los Angeles city (to 45,194 people) and 1.2% countywide across the Continuum of Care (to 73,040). Street homelessness rose 7.9% in the city to an estimated 29,115 people living on streets, with a 3.3% increase countywide.
The permanent housing numbers showed a notable decline: approximately 5,100 fewer people were permanently housed compared to the record high of 28,625 in 2024. LAHSA attributed this decrease partly to funding cuts affecting Time-Limited Subsidies and other economic factors. The agency stated that neither the city nor county increases are considered statistically significant changes.
Multiple studies have found a substantial portion of homeless individuals in Los Angeles County are not originally from California. Alle's Santa Monica Coalition has partnered with an AI company to create a hotline helping homeless people return to their home states, having assisted more than 40 people over the past year through bus, plane or train tickets for voluntary returns.
The Bottom Line
The 2026 homeless count presents a setback for Mayor Bass after two consecutive years of declines during her administration. While neither increase is statistically significant, the rise in street homelessness at 7.9% and the decline in permanent housing placements offer ammunition to critics who argue that more aggressive intervention is needed.
Bass has pointed to external factors including federal funding cuts as contributing causes, a narrative her supporters echo when discussing the broader challenges of addressing homelessness in major urban centers. Critics counter that visible conditions on city streets demand direct mayoral engagement and accountability regardless of funding environments.
What happens next: The mayor's office has indicated continued commitment to housing-first strategies while seeking additional state and federal resources. Watch for budget negotiations this fall as LA City Council determines how to prioritize homeless services amid competing demands. The 2027 count will be closely watched to determine whether the current numbers represent a trend or statistical fluctuation.