Homeless in LA

Overheard at a Starbuck's on Santa Monica Boulevard, where I went to prepare for my audition for a TV commercial. It sounded like the man behind me was interviewing a young woman for his restaurant that participates in feeding the homeless, and he was giving her the lay of the land, as he explained that he's really a documentary filmmaker and finds that he spends a lot of time waiting for jobs to come in, so decided to devote time to the cause: "It's estimated that there are between 40,000 and 60,000 homeless people in L A County."

Looking around the dishevelled city of dreams, as down on its heels as any homeless person, I was not surprised to hear the number, but still had to check it out. See the stats below, published by the Institute for the Study of Homelessness & Poverty at the Weingart Center.

Homelessness in Los Angeles County


According to the Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty at the Weingart Center, an estimated 254,000 men, women and children experience homelessness in Los Angeles County during some part of the year and approximately 82,000 people are homeless on any given night. Unaccompanied youth, especially in the Hollywood area, are estimated to make up from 4,800 to 10,000 of these.

Although homeless people may be found throughout the county, the largest percentages are in South Los Angeles and Metro Los Angeles. Most are from the Los Angeles area and stay in or near the communities from which they came. About 14 to 18 percent of homeless adults in Los Angeles County are not U.S. citizens compared with 29% of adults overall. A high percentage - as high as 20 percent - are veterans. African Americans make up approximately half of the Los Angeles County homeless population - disproportionately high compared to the percentage of African Americans in the county overall (about 9 percent).


Other Facts About the Homeless Population in Los Angeles:


The average age is 40 - women tend to be younger.

33% to 50% are female. Men make up about 75% of the single population.

About 42% to 77% do not receive public benefits to which they are entitled.

20% to 43% are in families, typically headed by a single mother.

An estimated 20% are physically disabled.

41% of adults were employed within last year.

16% to 20% of adults are employed.

About 25% are mentally ill.


As children, 27% lived in foster care or group homes; 25% were physically or sexually abused


33%-66% of single individuals have substance abuse issues.
48% graduated from high school; 32% had a bachelor degree or higher (as compared to 45% and 25% for the population overall respectively).


Race General Population Homeless Population


Latino 47% 33%


White 30% 14%


African American 9% 50%


Asian/Pacific Islander 12% 2%


Other 2% Less than 1%




How does this compare to your city ?