The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released the results of the 2025 Annual Homeless Count, showing for the first time a second consecutive year of decline in the number of people experiencing homelessness.
Photographer Carlin Stiehl visited the epicenter of California’s homeless problem, Skid Row, to hear what people actually living unhoused have to say.
“Immigrants here are being housed before the people who are actually waiting.”
— Rick Wesco
“There are more people this year, people have traveled more this year into downtown Los Angeles.”
— Kala Denise Jordan Nadal
“It’s a different summer.”
— Parker, who goes by Red
“They put me in and they put me back out on the street… They housed me, gave me a voucher and took the voucher back.”
— William Mays, left
William Mays, from left, with Jenika Sears, Tina L. and Cecil Moten on Winston Street.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
A man sits on the sidewalk on Towne Ave. in downtown Los Angeles.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
In February, there were an estimated 47,413 people living on the streets in the county and 26,972 in the city, annual declines of 9.5% and 7.9%, respectively.
Over the last two years, the unsheltered population in the county has dropped 14%, and 17.5% in the city.
