Homelessness in L.A. County jumps ‘staggering’ 23%

A man leaves a homeless encampment area with his belongings in a bag in Los Angeles.

Housing Works caseworker Anthony Ruffin kneels as he checks on a homeless woman sleeping on a bus bench in Hollywood.

Monic Bell holds her dog Hades outside her tent in Hollywood. Monic is homeless and says he was in the foster system. Youths made up the fastest growing homeless age group with those 18 to 24 up 64%, followed by those under 18 at 41%.

Charles Stacks, 23, speaks to a member of a homeless outreach team after they gave him food and a bag of hygiene supplies in Hollywood. Youths made up the fastest growing homeless age group, with those 18 to 24 up 64%, followed by those under 18 at 41%.

A homeless man secures his belongings before riding away on his bike in Los Angeles.

Kenneth Sampay, 52, watches television from his cot at the winter homeless shelter at Bethel A.M.E. Church in South Los Angeles. Mirroring last year’s count, only one of every four homeless people were classified as “sheltered,” meaning they were counted in an emergency shelter or longer-term transitional program.

A man walks past a homeless encampment along 9th Street where it cuts under the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles.

Dayna Catchings, her face reflected in a hand mirror, lives in a homeless encampment along 9th Street where it cuts under the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles.

Tommy Shot, who has been living on the streets for 11 years, smokes a cigarette in a chair by his belongings on Rose Avenue in Venice.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies Liz Aguilar, left, and Martin Villa with their hands on guns check a homeless encampment along San Gabriel River in South El Monte.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Martin Villa checks on a homeless man living along the San Gabriel River bed in Irwindale.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Galvan warns a couple living under a 5 Freeway bridge along the San Gabriel River in Pico Rivera.