Annual Trends Among the Unsheltered in Three Los Angeles Neighborhoods

The Los Angeles Longitudinal Enumeration and Demographic Survey (LA LEADS) 2025 Annual Report

Louis Abramson, Sarah B. Hunter, Rick Garvey, Cyril Cherian, Jason M. Ward

ResearchPublished May 21, 2026

Unsheltered homelessness remained flat between December 2024 and January 2026. While tent dwelling has fallen 55 percent since 2021, rough sleeping and vehicle dwelling have risen significantly. With 87 percent of tents now in Skid Row, tent-centric aid is less effective elsewhere. The authors recommend pivoting to a mixed approach, including centralized service hubs and low-barrier integrated behavioral health-housing options.

Topics

Document Details

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Abramson, Louis, Sarah B. Hunter, Rick Garvey, Cyril Cherian, and Jason M. Ward, Annual Trends Among the Unsheltered in Three Los Angeles Neighborhoods: The Los Angeles Longitudinal Enumeration and Demographic Survey (LA LEADS) 2025 Annual Report. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2026. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA4903-1.html.
BibTeX RIS

Research conducted by

This research was supported by the Lowy Family, whose generous gift supported the establishment of the RAND Housing Center. This research was conducted by the RAND Housing Center within RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure.

This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND research reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.