Despite Recession, Homelessness Declines
Experts were concerned the record recession would cause more people who lost their jobs to become homeless.
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Despite a tough recession, LA County's homeless population has actually dropped. According to a survey released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the number of people who are homeless in the area has dropped by 38% since 2007.
"We know, we can sense, we can feel that there's a change out there. These numbers provide us with some documentation that things are really happening in Los Angeles," Michael Arnold, executive director of the homeless services authority, told the LA Times.
The count was conducted over a three day period in January. According to the report, the current number of homeless is 42,694, down from 2007's high of 68,808. The bulk of the population is centered in central and downtown Los Angeles.
Experts were concerned the record recession would cause more people who lost their jobs to become homeless.
Arnold told the Times he thinks there are several reasons for the surprising drop. Some may have moved out of the area to find more affordable places to live. At the same time, city officials have done a better job at preventing homelessness through better funding of programs and creating better housing options.
Agencies have focused on placing homeless people in housing rather than, as Arnold told the Times, simply "making homelessness more comfortable."
