The annual homeless count from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is set to come out on Friday, and sources told Fox 11 News that the report will show a 3.5% increase in homelessness, and that includes those in shelters.
Sources also say the number of those on the street is expected to go up 8%.
In a statement sent out Thursday afternoon, Mayor Karen Bass confirmed the increase, writing, "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."
She pinned the blame on the "lack of adequate services provided by L.A. County" and the Trump Administration.
"The Trump Administration has driven up the cost of gas, groceries, and rent — pushing more families to the edge — and slashed critical safety net funding," she continued. "And, last year’s 50% cut in state HHAP funding from $1 billion to $500 million — resulting in a $70 million hit to L.A. city alone — severely impacted our work to keep people housed and get more Angelenos off the streets."
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