California homeless count delay and Los Angeles decline highlight funding gap

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual point‑in‑time homeless count for 2025, normally released in December, has not been published. The five‑month delay is preventing the federal report that guides housing‑fund allocations from being used, prompting California officials to produce their own data, which shows a 9% drop in people sleeping outdoors but lacks demographic details.

Los Angeles County’s 2025 homeless services authority reported a 4% decline in unsheltered individuals, totaling 72,308 people. The Inner City Law Center said the modest decline underscores the need for expanded prevention, legal aid, stronger tenant protections and legislation such as SB 634 to shield service providers and mutual‑aid groups from penalties.