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Homeless Problem: Four Times Worse Than We Thought?

Los Angeles County this year has worked extra hard to get as complete a count as possible of the homeless people on its streets and ...

Los Angeles County this year has worked extra hard to get as complete a count as possible of the homeless people on its streets and in its shelters. More than 1,000 canvassers fanned out across the county in January for three nights of counting. For the first time, the census-takers also included many currently- and formerly-homeless people who might know better than anyone else where to look.

The results, released today, and reported this morning by the LA Times, are staggering. The census found more than 90,000 men, women and children living on the streets, in their cars or in shelters. Of those, 35,000 are "chronically" homeless, requiring the most intensive help and the costliest public services. Previous counts put LA County's chronic homeless population at only 7,500.

Christopher Swope was GOVERNING's executive editor.
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