Scholarly Studies

2022 Rand Study Unsheltered.pdf

RAND Study: Recent Trends Among the Unsheltered in Three Los Angeles Neighborhoods

An Interim Report on the Los Angeles Longitudinal Enumeration and Demographic Survey (LA LEADS) Project

KEY FINDINGS

■ Between late September 2021 and January 2022, the total number of unsheltered people, vehicles, tents,

and makeshift structures averaged 1,358 in Skid Row, 685 in Hollywood, and 523 in Venice. Across

this period, the total number of individuals, vehicles, and makeshift structures across these three areas

increased by around 17 percent.

■ We conducted systematic random surveys of 216 unsheltered people in Hollywood, Skid Row, Venice,

and “Veterans Row” during this same period. Around 90 percent of survey respondents indicated interest

in receiving housing; nearly half reported being offered housing in the past, and one-third indicated that

they were currently on a housing waitlist.

■ Around 80 percent of respondents said that they would accept a private room in a shelter or hotel, a per-

manent stay in a motel- or hotel-like setting, or permanent supportive housing. About half would accept

interim housing with access to services, shared housing, or safe camping. Less than one-third would

accept a group shelter or a recovery or sober living housing offer.

■ The most commonly reported factors that prevented respondents from moving into housing in the past

were never being reached to complete the housing intake process (41 percent), privacy concerns (38 per-

cent), and safety concerns (32 percent).

■ Over 75 percent of respondents have been continuously homeless for over a year, and over 50 percent

have been continuously homeless for more than three years. Over 75 percent of respondents have spent

six months or longer living in the neighborhood where they were surveyed. The majority of respondents

resided in Los Angeles County before their current location, and nearly 75 percent reported residing

within California.

■ The share of respondents identifying as Black/African American was 38 percent higher in our sample than

in 2020 data from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, while the share of respondents identify-

ing as Hispanic was 24 percent lower.