In 2011 the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) published a map and sheet showing homelessness rates per district in Los Angeles. On LAHSA’s 2011 map, the districts with the highest numbers of unhoused people were shaded dark-blue and included CD-9, CD-14, CD-13, and CD-8.
For the 2020 count, LAHSA did not publish a map showing district per homelessness, but that didn’t stop yours truly and some friends from publishing another one on their behalf. Our choropleth map below noted percent changes for homelessness rates per district in a bivariate color scheme from green to red. Also listed was a sheet ranking homelessness rates from highest to lowest per district based on LAHSA’s most recent count.
By 2020, fourteen of L.A.’s fifteen council districts, or 93% of the city, saw an increase of homelessness since 2011. The districts with the highest numbers of unhoused residents actually included the same four districts from ten years earlier, though in a slightly rearranged order. These districts were:
I. CD-14, where Skid Row, along with much of downtown, was moved to after city redistricting in 2012. The district was overseen by Jose Huizar from 2005 – 2020 but has been overseen by Kevin De Leon since 2020. At the start of his term an estimate of at least 7,600 people were reported without shelter, an increase of more than 245% since 2011.
II. CD-9, where historic South Central was still based after redistricting in 2012. The area was overseen by Curren D. Price from 2013 – 2020, when an estimated 4,900 people were reported without shelter, a decrease of 15.5% since 2011.
III. CD-8, where Leimert Park was still based after redistricting in 2012 along with the Crenshaw Corridor. The district was overseen by Marqueece Harris-Dawson from 2015 – 2022, when an estimated 4,400 people were reported without shelter, an increase of 175% since 2011.
IV. CD-13, where East Hollywood remained after redistricting in 2012. The district was represented by Mitch O’Farrell from 2013 – 2022 and but has been overseen by Hugo Soto-Martinez since 2022. An estimated 3,900 people were reported without shelter in CD-13 as of 2020, an increase of 105% since 2011.
Here is what the rate looked like in 2022, according to LAHSA
| Council District | Total | Unsheltered | Sheltered | Individuals | Family Members | Families | Unaccompanied Minors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 9204 | 6523 | 2681 | 8530 | 664 | 210 | 10 |
| 9 | 5640 | 2943 | 2697 | 3665 | 1968 | 630 | 7 |
| 8 | 3579 | 1334 | 2245 | 2105 | 1462 | 496 | 12 |
| 1 | 3395 | 2570 | 825 | 3091 | 295 | 108 | 9 |
| 6 | 3228 | 1590 | 1638 | 1951 | 1269 | 361 | 8 |
| 13 | 2992 | 2310 | 682 | 2684 | 290 | 102 | 18 |
| 15 | 2373 | 1916 | 457 | 2168 | 196 | 61 | 9 |
| 11 | 2012 | 1704 | 308 | 1897 | 115 | 37 | 0 |
| 7 | 1746 | 1484 | 262 | 1696 | 50 | 14 | 0 |
| 10 | 1671 | 1348 | 323 | 1523 | 134 | 43 | 14 |
| 2 | 1364 | 1128 | 236 | 1329 | 34 | 10 | 1 |
| 3 | 1270 | 970 | 300 | 1141 | 129 | 34 | 0 |
| 5 | 1252 | 787 | 465 | 858 | 394 | 133 | 0 |
| 4 | 1203 | 887 | 316 | 1067 | 134 | 48 | 2 |
| 12 | 1051 | 964 | 87 | 989 | 62 | 19 | 0 |
| Total | 41980 | 28458 | 13522 | 34094 | 7196 | 2306 | 90 |
In 2022, the city saw improvements in getting more people sheltered, but nonetheless saw an overall increase in the rate of homelessness. The districts with the highest numbers of unhoused residents actually included the same top three districts from 2011, but there was a change for the fourth most affected area. These districts were:
I. CD-14, where Skid Row, along with much of downtown, remained even after redistricting in 2022. The district is still overseen by Kevin De Leon, though he is up for election this year and is likely to face a considerable challenge in November. Boyle Heights Beat is also holding a Candidate Forum for the community on Saturday, February 10, 2024.
II. CD-9, where the historic South Central area remained even after redistricting in 2022. The district is still technically overseen by Curren D. Price, but just earlier this week he pleaded not guilty to charges of embezzlement and is therefore going to remain away from the council until the case concludes, depriving the area of active representation at City Hall for the foreseeable future. CD-9 is also where dozens of residents were left homeless in 2021 after the Los Angeles Police Department detonated explosives there which injured 17 people and damaged at least 35 homes; as of June 2023, at least 15 families were still living in a hotel being paid for by the city–at least $9.5 million dollars most recently. The city also attempted to evict families from this arrangement until it was faced with a major public outcry.
III. CD-8, still home to the Crenshaw area, West Adams, and the Vermont-Florence area even after redistricting in 2022. The district is still helmed by Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who is likely to be reelected in 2024 for his final term as the community’s representative at L.A. City Hall. While CD-8 has remained the third most hit in terms of homelessness for over a decade, the district did see improvement in terms of people housed since 2020. CD-8 is also the only district of the top four on this list to have more sheltered than unsheltered people experiencing homelessness. Given Harris-Dawson’s position as the Chair of the Planning and Land Use Management committee at L.A. City Hall since 2019, it’ll be key to keep track of CD-8’s progress on this enduring issue.
IV. CD-1, still home to Pico-Union, Westlake-MacArthur Park, Lincoln Heights and Highland Park even after redistricting in 2022. While the district was overseen by Gil Cedillo since 2013, in June 2022 he was defeated by Eunisses Hernandez. Hernandez has pledged to fight gentrification in the community she was born and raised in and even to explore options for social housing in the area. The next couple of years are crucial, then, if she’s to fulfill these promises.
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