PPTFH Reports Homelessness Down

Despite Countywide Increase, 2019 Estimate Reveals Lower Number in the Palisades

Nearly 60,000 people live without permanent shelter in Los Angeles County, more than 16,500 of them in vehicles and 11,000 in tents, according to the Los Angeles County Homeless Services Authority.

While the local results of the 2019 LAHSA Homeless Count were not released as the Palisadian-Post went to print, the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness was able to provide an estimate of the figures.

Based on formulas used by LAHSA in 2018, PPTFH estimated there to be a total of 88 homeless individuals living in the Palisades in 2019—down from 107 in 2018. Of that total, PPTFH counted 20 individuals on the streets, 39 individuals in vehicles and three in makeshift shelters.

“The number of individuals and make-shift shelters we counted has decreased since we started counting, but the number of vehicle dwellers has increased,” PPTFH Homeless Count Committee Chair Kim Clary told the Post. “Vehicle dwellers seem to travel more and be harder to engage than individuals on the ground. Our new challenge is how to reach out to these vehicle dwellers.”

PPTFH board members discussed the results of the count at a meeting on Tuesday.

“The task force is deeply concerned that the number of homeless individuals counted in 2019 has increased for the city and county, despite all the significant efforts,” PPTFH President Doug McCormick told the Post. “Clearly the lack of housing is a key issue for all communities and is even more inhibiting than in the past. Our communities can’t find needed housing at the same rate as we would like to, and we all need to double our efforts to help create that housing.”

Pacific Palisades is located in service area 5 for the Homeless Count, which extends along the west side from LAX to Malibu. In service area 5, the total homeless population in 2019 was 5,223, including 4,378 unsheltered individuals, 845 sheltered individuals, 685 families and five unaccompanied minors.

According to the 2016 LAHSA Homeless Count figures, there were 198 homeless individuals around the Palisades, 61 of which lived in makeshift shelters and 13 of which lived in vehicles.

Since then, the Palisades has seen a 56% reduction in homeless individuals, a 95% reduction in makeshift shelters and a 77% reduction in homeless individuals counted by PPTFH, though it has experienced a 200% increase in homeless vehicle dwellers.