HOLLYWOOD, CA — A new report indicates that homelessness may be dropping in Hollywood, even though the amount of tents and encampments has surged. Volunteers for the 2021 Hollywood Homeless Count counted 1,513 unhoused residents in Hollywood and East Hollywood, down from 1,714 counted last year by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
According to the data, the number of people without any kind of protection from the elements dropped by 30 percent. However, the number of tents and other makeshift structures along the streets was 28 percent higher than last year.
Some of the largest regional increases were found in East Hollywood, including the area around Sunset Boulevard and Edgemont Street where the amount of homeless people nearly doubled from 202o to 2021. In total, the number of tents seen on the street doubled in over 25% of census tracts.
Organizers cited several temporary housing solutions that were established during the pandemic, such as Project Roomkey, Bridge Homes, and other facilities as possible reasons why the overall numbers were lower this year.
"If CD13's 6.5% share of LA County's unsheltered seniors is an indication, 100 Greater
Hollywood residents might have been in any of Project Roomkey's 1608 active rooms on the night of the count—about half the inferred change," Hollywood 4WRD said.
LAHSA typically counts the number of people experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles each year, reporting the findings to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development. In December 2020, however, it was announced the 2021 count would not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders.
Instead, organizers from Hollywood 4WRD, a non-profit group founded in 2008, stepped up to take an estimate of how many people were sleeping on the streets in the community. Volunteers came together on February 25 at The Center in Hollywood, where they were sent out to their respective areas to conduct the count.
"Visually, it looks like there are more people on the street. But anecdotal impressions are not always right and so we have to trust the data," said Steve Fiechter, board member of Hollywood 4WRD and Senior Director at PATH. "This survey shows that interventions can help those struggling with housing insecurity. As we begin to put the COVID19 pandemic behind us, we must not lose our focus on providing the services and resources that work."
Hollywood 4WRD also noted how the pandemic worsened living conditions for those on the street, with bathrooms, trash containers, and other necessary resources often closed as restaurants, businesses, libraries and shops shuttered their doors or closed off facilities.
"While the numbers may be down, people's conditions are worsening which is visibly evident," volunteer Helen Eigenberg said.
Find the full report here.
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April 16, 2021 at 06:03AM
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Homelessness In Hollywood Drops 12% From Last Year: Report - Patch.com
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