Nearly 7,500 volunteers fanned out to count the people living on the streets last week in the largest homeless poll in the nation. The tally will provide an updated look at the state of homelessness in Los Angeles County – often considered the homeless capital of the country.

Mid City West Community Council board member Steve Luftman checks the tract map while he participates in the homeless count.
(photo by Gregory Cornfield)

The results give insight that can lead appropriate services to the people who need them most, and help county leaders leverage federal and private funds for resources and larger scale solutions.

“The homeless count isn’t about numbers, it’s about people,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “It isn’t about statistics, it’s about our promise to lift up those who have been left behind. In the streets (last week), I saw an outpouring of support by Angelenos from all walks of life. Their generosity and compassion is going to help us eradicate homelessness and will create a ripple effect for years to come.”

Naomi Goldman, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority, said it will take a few months for the county to put together the report and its components, such as more detailed demographic profiles and information. She explained that Los Angeles has one of most robust methodologies to study geography and trends of gender or age. County staff will submit the report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development before April 30, and release it to the public in May.

Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) joined the Mid City West Community Council (MCWCC) at its deployment site to thank the volunteers for their service.

“Homelessness is one of our most pressing issues. I know you agree with me otherwise you wouldn’t be here,” Bloom told the volunteers.

The assemblyman explained that one out of every 10 homeless persons in the country lives in Los Angeles County, and one in five lives in California. He explained that even though state and local lawmakers have been working on the issue, the problem has gotten worse over the last few years.

“So our response to this needs to increase,” he said. “We know how to end homelessness. We do it through supportive housing, by having effective outreach and wrap-around services that cater to individual needs.”

Last year, volunteers counted 193 unsheltered homeless people in MCWCC’s area. Scott Epstein, chairman of the community council, said the first unofficial estimate for the area this year is approximately 160. He said he was encouraged that there didn’t appear to be more. But he said one of the more promising results was the increased participation and awareness by community members and neighboring community councils.

Approximately 65 volunteers helped count in MCWCC’s area. One of them is named Brenda.

Brenda participated in the homeless count last year while she was also experiencing homelessness. This year she had a home to return to afterwards.

A common misconception, she said, is that people assume all homeless people are dirty or have an illness, or that they are either incapable at functioning in society or are criminals. She said many people experiencing homelessness are resourceful enough to stay clean and healthy.

Brenda is a Vietnam veteran and while she was experiencing homelessness for a year, she heard about the 2015 count at a community center and decided she could help out.

Very soon after last year’s count, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing helped her find permanent housing in the Mid-City area.

But after almost a year living in the apartment, she is afraid the manager at her building will evict her soon and cause her to be homeless again. On Tuesday she visited the VA to explore her options and she is in the process of looking for a new place to stay. She wants to fight the eviction in court but also save enough to get another apartment.

She said a lot of formerly homeless people can have trouble when managers and landlords know their past and take advantage of the circumstances, especially because once you are housed you can be sent to the back of the line in some service agency systems. A negative mark on her record for something like an eviction can also make it even more difficult to find housing.

“It’s upsetting when you don’t have a voice in a living situation,” she said.

Since she might not find a new apartment right away, she is also looking for temporary living places, but it might be a month before she can move in.

“It’s sad because a lot of people that are homeless are in a situation like this and treading on thin ice and people can take advantage of you,” she said.

She said she is determined not to live on the streets again.