Los Angeles County has initiated its annual count of homeless residents, marking a crucial step in the region's efforts to address the crisis of tens of thousands of individuals living on the streets. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has mobilized up to 6,000 volunteers for the main component of the effort, known as the unsheltered street tally. Spanning three days, the “point-in-time” count aims to estimate the number of unhoused individuals and determine the necessary services they may require, such as mental health support or drug addiction treatment. This undertaking in LA County is the largest among similar tallies conducted in major cities across the United States. The count, which also incorporates demographic surveys and shelter counts, is mandated by the federal government to secure specific types of funding for cities.

The 2023 count comes at a time of growing public outrage over what many perceive as the failure, despite costly initiatives, to reduce the escalating population of people living in cars, tents, and makeshift street shelters. Last year's effort reported a staggering figure of over 75,500 homeless individuals on any given night in LA County, representing a 9% increase from the previous year. Within the city of Los Angeles alone, approximately 46,200 individuals were counted, intensifying public frustration as tents proliferated on sidewalks, parks, and various other locations. Homelessness in the county has surged by 70% since 2015, with the city experiencing an 80% increase.

To kick off the count, Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, joined city and county officials in the North Hollywood neighborhood of LA's San Fernando Valley. Bass emphasized the importance of the count as a tool to confront the homelessness crisis, stating, "Homelessness is an emergency, and it will take all of us working together to confront this emergency." In December 2022, on her first day in office, Bass declared a state of emergency on homelessness. One year into her term, the Democratic mayor announced that over 21,000 unhoused individuals had been relocated to leased hotels or other temporary shelters in 2023, marking a 28% increase from the previous year. Additionally, numerous drug-plagued street encampments were cleared, and housing projects are currently in progress. City Hall, the City Council, and the LA County Board of Supervisors have expressed their commitment to collaborating in order to tackle this crisis. However, despite the billions of dollars invested in programs to combat homelessness, progress has not always been visible.

The issue of homelessness remains highly visible throughout California, with people residing in tents, cars, and sleeping on sidewalks or under highway overpasses. The results of the LA County homeless count are anticipated to be released in late spring or early summer, shedding light on the extent of the crisis and potentially informing future strategies to address this pressing issue.