Who is Homeless in Los Angeles
- The average homeless adult is 45 years old.
- At least 10,000 homeless youth sleep on the streets of L.A. 79% go unsheltered at night.
- 15% of homeless adults lived in foster care.
- 41% are high school graduates; 10% have earned college degrees.
- 12% are veterans.
- 25% are physically disabled.
- 50% of homeless adults are African American, compared to 9% of LA’s total population.
- 24% are Latino, compared to 47% countywide. 19% are Caucasian, compared to 30% countywide. 2% are Asian, compared to 12% of LA’s total population.
- 16%-20% of homeless adults are employed.
- 20%-35% live in shelters.
- Families make up 20%-43% of the homeless count nightly.
- 86% of homeless adults are United States citizens.
-59% of the homeless are adult males.
-41% are women and children.
-33% are GLBT.
-25% are victims of physical or sexual abuse during childhood (36% including those who have experienced abuse since living on the streets).
-33% of the homeless are chronically homeless. This means that they have either been continually homeless for at least one year, or have had four or more episodes of homelessness within the past three years.
-19% have been homeless for less than two months. 31% have been homeless for between two months and one year. 50% have been homeless for more than one year.
-75% drink and smoke marijuana. 60% use speed. 41% use heroin. 33% use other drugs.
-52% panhandle and recycle for their income. 23% seek aid from family and friends. 21% use sex and prostitution. 16% deal drugs. 7% have legitimate jobs.
-Of the estimated 1000 youth that leave LA county’s foster system monthly, 45% end up living on the streets immediately or within 6 weeks.
Approximately 25,000 Women and girls are homeless every night.
13% report having been raped in the past year.
-59% of women report being victims of physical abuse in their lifetime. 24% report abuse within the past year.
-Vets are twice as likely to become homeless.
-This figure rises to 42% when mental and physical disabilities are considered together.
-Homeless women who have been homeless for more than one year are 1.8 times more likely to have a permanent disability than women who have been homeless for less than one year.
-15% of people newly diagnosed with AIDS are homeless.
-33%-50% of the homeless have a mental illness.
-33%-50% abuse substances.
-41% have been employed within the past year.
-76% had been employed some or all of the 2 years prior to becoming homeless.
-77% have held at least one job for more than one year. 54% have held a job for more than two years. And 30% have held a job for more than five years.
-The number of shelter beds in LA grew from 2,452 in 1984, to 18,529 in 2003.
-42%-77% of the homeless population is not utilizing benefits to which they are entitled.
-These families are typically headed by a single mother.
-40% of LA’s homeless adults were born in California.
-75% have lived in LA for at least 7 years.
-19% moved from outside of California.