Homelessness in California used to be much worse. Here’s how L.A. turned it around

The tragedy of homelessness can never be long out of mind here in California, where tents line sidewalks and freeway underpasses and lost street-corner souls rant at God knows what.

We gawk in sadness and amazement. And we tell ourselves: It’s never been this bad.

But it has. At least in relative numbers, it was once even worse.

California’s homeless population zoomed to 101,174 in 1933, at the height of the Great Depression — according to a census of 48 of the state’s 58 counties. That meant that 1.8% of the population of 5.7 million lived with no permanent roof overhead.

Contrast that with 2022, when a federal report put the number of California homeless at 171,521, or about 0.4% of the 39 million who now live here.

That’s one of many things I learned in a deep and probing investigation by The Times and reporters Mitchell Landsberg and Gale Holland into the roots of California’s homeless crisis.

Their thoroughly researched and nuanced story is a far cry from how The Times used to cover homelessness. Gen. Harrison Gray Otis, the bombastic publisher of the newspaper, had this to say about the homeless in an 1882 editorial: “Don’t feed the worthless chaps. It only encourages them in their idleness and viciousness.”

What got us out of it the last time?

The economic boom that came along with World War II, the subsequent GI Bill and low-cost veterans loans to help those returning from war move into their dream houses.

More than a half-million dwelling units were built in the L.A. metro area from 1940 to 1950, according to the U.S. census, most of them after the war. More than 850,000 more were built during the 1950s.

The city added nearly as many homes as there were Angelenos. Homelessness had all but disappeared.

Not long after that postwar boom, the city and the state put the brakes on the kind of development needed to provide enough homes for California’s consistently growing population. Voters and their representatives failed to approve large apartment projects in many neighborhoods. Zoning and restrictive loan practices prohibited Black and Latino people from moving into certain neighborhoods.

When the state mental hospitals disappeared in the 1960s, Gov. Ronald Reagan and Democrats in the Legislature didn’t come anywhere close to producing the community-based clinics that were supposed to care for some of our most fragile residents.

Is there hope this time around?

Yes. The public has shown, with the passage of new taxes, in particular a half-cent sales tax in Los Angeles County, that it’s ready to pay to resolve the problem. The Legislature and governor have recently joined in, easing the rules surrounding new housing construction. L.A. County’s homeless numbers began to level off in 2023 and, this spring, the agency overseeing the homeless projected that the unsheltered population had dropped by 5% to 10%.

The total of roughly 70,000 homeless in L.A. County is still far too high, and more help is needed.

Here’s more on homelessness in Los Angeles, including a timeline of key events and policies that have made L.A. the homeless capital of the United States.

Today’s top stories

The raging Guadalupe River leaves fallen trees and debris in its wake on July Fourth in Kerrville, Texas.

(Eric Gay / Associated Press)

L.A. firestorms and Texas floods share a grim connection

• Two major climate disasters of 2025 highlight the struggles officials face in fully preparing for extreme weather conditions.
• In both cases, the National Weather Service offered clear warnings of potentially life-threatening weather events.
• But for a variety of reasons, those warnings did not filter down with maximum urgency to various local agencies.

The six-month anniversary of the worst firestorm in Los Angeles County history

• Six months later, we take a look at the Eaton and Palisades fires cleanup, government responses, investigations and legal action.
• The anniversary still feels hard to measure as feelings of loss — 30 deaths, thousands of homes gone, long-term plans derailed, battles with insurance companies, mental anguish — are still too raw.
• Some victims say that grief is hitting them harder now that the acute crisis has subsided.

Trump administration sues California over transgender athletes; billions of dollars at stake

• The Trump administration has sued California for allowing transgender athletes to compete on school sports teams that match their gender identity.
• The suit alleges that California has violated federal civil rights law by discriminating against women.
• California officials have denied any wrongdoing and rejected federal demands to bar transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s school sports teams.

What else is going on

• Gov. Newsom, mulling over a 2028 presidential bid, woos the Democratic faithful in South Carolina.
• L.A. vowed to remove 9,800 encampments. But are homeless people getting housed?
• The national suicide prevention hotline plans to stop offering LGBTQ+ youth counseling. Now, queer advocates in L.A. wonder what’s next.
• Body scanners? Drug-sniffing dogs? Here’s why L.A. County wants a contraband crackdown inside juvenile hall.
• California farmers say Medicaid recipients and automation can’t replace their immigrant workers.

Commentary and opinions

• As ICE terrorizes Los Angeles, the links between immigration raids and environmental justice are clear, argues columnist Sammy Roth.
• Thoughts and prayers? Sure, but hold the Trump administration accountable, columnist Jackie Calmes writes.
• The human brain doesn’t learn, think or recall like an AI. We should embrace the difference, writes guest contributor Iddo Gefen.
• Los Angeles doesn’t need to Manhattanize to solve its housing crisis — it needs to Los Angelize, write guest contributors Dana Cuff and Christopher Hawthorne.
  

This morning’s must reads

California

Stephen Miller finally gets his revenge on L.A.

In the long shadow of his policies, renewed attention is being paid to Miller’s upbringing in the famously liberal enclave once dubbed “the People’s Republic of Santa Monica.”

July 9, 2025

Other must reads

• Here’s how changes in California culture have influenced the evolution of wild animals in Los Angeles.
• A new poll finds most Californians believe American democracy is in peril.

For your downtime

Melody, a natural wine bar and restaurant on the corner of Virgil Avenue and Marathon Street, will close on July 12.

(Eric Tucker)

Going out

• Restaurants: A Virgil Village destination for natural wine and pop-up chefs is set to close permanently this weekend — so squeeze in your visit while you can.
• Watch parties: “This is our Super Bowl:” Where to watch the ‘Love Island USA’ season finale in L.A.
• Beaches: Planning a mini beach vacation near home this summer? Here are 17 of the best beaches in Orange County.

Staying in

• Books: Looking for your next beach (or heat wave) read? Here’s this week’s bestselling books.
• Music: Parker McCollum’s new country album might be the best he’ll ever make.
• Television: Maggie Q brings the heat to cold cases in “Ballard,” a “Bosch” spinoff series.
• Recipes: Here’s a recipe for Hawa Hassan’s fried cauliflower with tahini.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

A question for you: What’s your favorite California beach?

Skylar Blue writes: “My favorite Beach is Centerville Beach in Ferndale, California!”

Ray Highfill writes: “LaJolla, Calif.”

Email us at @latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally ... from our archives

Stuart the Minion in a scene from “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” the sequel to “Minions.”

(Illumination Entertainment / Universal Pictures)

On July 10, 2015, the movie “Minions” — a spinoff of the wildly popular “Despicable Me” movie series — was released in theaters. Here’s what The Times thought at the time about the film, which puts the titular yellow sidekicks to history’s greatest villains in the spotlight.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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