The Homeless Capital Of The Nation

"The findings are from a January 2005 street count and survey of homeless people and are included in a report to be released today by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

Earlier results from that count and others, in Glendale, Pasadena and Long Beach, found more than 88,000 people living countywide on streets and in shelters and vehicles, with about 35,000 of them chronically homeless.

...Los Angeles County has gained notoriety as the homeless capital of the nation, and conditions in downtown's skid row recently have galvanized policymakers to focus more attention and money on housing and emergency shelter needs.

Los Angeles County supervisors recently allocated $24 million for homeless services, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced a $50-million housing plan."