Earlier this week when the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released its annual Homeless Count, this year’s 10% rise countywide represented the second-biggest rise in the report’s five year history.
But hidden in that countywide jump was an even bigger surprise. From 2022 to 2023, the so-called “Service Planning Area 5” — which is comprised of Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Culver City, Ladera, Malibu, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Palms, Playa del Rey, Santa Monica, Venice, West LA, Westchester and Westwood — saw a 45% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness.
The region’s count went from 4,604 to 6,669, a rise of 2,065 in just 12 months. Ironically, SPA 5 includes L.A.’s priciest zip codes with a median income 54% higher than that of L.A.
County as a whole. Residents of the area have been complaining for years about the rise in people experiencing homelessness.
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