International News

LOS ANGELES, (APP/AFP): The number of homeless people in Los
Angeles County jumped by nearly six percent over the past year to 46,874, in part due to a “historic” housing shortage, authorities said on Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) said in its
report that the increase came about despite a reduction in the number of homeless veterans and homeless families.
Homelessness among veterans dropped by 30 percent across the county,
while the number of homeless families fell by 18 percent, largely thanks to an increase in funding by the federal government.
“Homelessness responds to resources,” said LAHSA executive director
Peter Lynn. “When we have systematically applied city, county and federal resources, we see results.”
According to the report, the number of homeless people in the city of
Los Angeles jumped by 11 percent while other areas in the county saw larger increases.
The vast majority of the county’s homeless — 34,527 — are without
shelter, LAHSA said, meaning that they are living in tents, shantytowns or
vehicles.
“Despite our progress, Los Angeles is facing a historic housing
shortage, a staggering mental health crisis and veterans are becoming homeless every day,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told reporters.
“As a city, we have launched efforts to tackle these issues, securing
record federal investments in supportive services for veteran families,
producing a comprehensive homelessness strategy report and expanding a robust winter shelter program.
“This year, we are doubling down on our work.”