By Aaron Schrank for LAist
Originally published on July 23, 2026
The findings of the 2026 homeless count held in January across most of L.A. County are scheduled to be officially announced this Friday, July 24, by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, ahead of that official release, has acknowledged that the annual tally will show a rise in the city of L.A.’s unhoused population after two years of declines.
What the mayor is saying
Bass was responding to a report late Wednesday by Fox 11 that the numbers had gone up. Bass, who was briefed on the findings, acknowledged to Fox 11 that the city’s unhoused population has increased, although she didn’t share a specific percentage. The mayor blamed state funding cuts and federal policy changes for the rise.
On Thursday, the mayor’s office shared a longer written statement with LAist:
“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,” Bass said.
When asked to clarify, Bass’ office said she was most concerned about state reductions to the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention grant program, known as HHAP.
Bass also said she believed the Trump administration has played a role in more people going unhoused. She said the administration’s policies have “driven up the cost of gas, groceries, and rent” and “slashed critical safety net funding.” More broadly, she said city leaders have ignored the homelessness crisis for decades and that the “lack of adequate services provided by L.A. County continues to be a real problem.”
Several people briefed on the findings also confirmed to LAist that this year’s results show the area’s unhoused population increased.
Why it matters
The point-in-time census, which is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and takes place yearly in L.A., provides a data snapshot. Local officials use it to gauge year-to-year fluctuations, and it also helps the federal government determine how millions of dollars in federal homelessness grants flow.
In 2025, the city’s and county’s homeless populations dropped by 3.4% and 4%, respectively. The 2024 count also showed declines — those drops were smaller and within the count’s margin of error.
Bass, who took office at the very end of 2022, has been touting two consecutive years of declining homelessness in her reelection campaign this year. She’s facing City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who chairs L.A.’s housing and homelessness committee.
Release timing
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, known as LAHSA, conducted the count in January and initially planned to release the results in “late spring or early summer.” The release was delayed slightly this year, as LAHSA officials opted to wait on a federal review of the data. The agency typically released past homeless count findings in June.
LAHSA’s public release of the findings is currently scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday, July 24.
Bass, who was present at the event for the past three years, has not responded to requests from LAist asking whether she will attend this time.
