LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis released the following statement after the Board of Supervisor unanimously approved her motion to proclaim the “Greater Los Angeles Youth Homeless Count” (LA Youth Count) from January 21 through January 31, 2023.
An estimated 2,822 young people in Los Angeles County on any given night experience homelessness according to the 2022 LA Youth Count. This number, which includes both young adults ages 18 to 24 and unaccompanied children under 18, is a 40% decrease from 2020. However, the omicron variant surge during last year’s count led to less surveys collected and possibly an undercount of youth. That is why it is so important to ensure we have enough volunteers to carry out the count this year.
“In addition to supporting the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, it is necessary to focus efforts and attention on the LA Youth Count to ensure young people are represented in estimates of those experiencing homelessness in our community,” said Supervisor Solis. “The longer someone is unsheltered the harder it becomes to obtain permanent housing. It is crucial that we count youth experiencing homelessness to identify the causes of youth homelessness and connect these young people to services. This year, I will be opening two Project Homekey sites specifically dedicated to support youth. Together, they will bring close to 70 interim hosing beds for our youth. I hope that with more accurate count data, we will be able to open more housing sites dedicated to supporting youth and determine what resources are needed to support unhoused youth.”
In addition to the proclamation, this motion directs the Chief Executive Officer to encourage County employees to volunteer for the LA Youth Count.
To read the full motion, click here.
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