14,000 Homeless Women and Counting in Los Angeles County

The number of homeless women living in Los Angeles County has increased 55 percent since 2013. Women account for one in three homeless people in the county.

1 minute read

November 8, 2016, 8:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Lost Our Home

AR McLin / Flickr

Gale Holland writes a feature-length story on the state of homelessness in Los Angeles, focusing on the specific threats and struggles faced by homeless women in the city. Holland maps out the scope of the problem to begin the article:

One in three homeless people in Los Angeles County are women, according to government figures released this year. The total of more than 14,000 women is a 55% increase from 2013. The number of women camped out in RVs, tents and lean-tos doubled in the last three years.

To illuminate the reality of the threats facing homeless women, the Downtown Women’s Action Coalition released a survey recently finding that "nearly half of skid row women had been attacked in the previous 12 months" and "more than a quarter of them were sexually assaulted."

The article is supplemented by videos by Jason Hanasik. Among the stories explored in the videos are stories of stories of lost families and the great lengths homeless women must go to shield themselves from risk, many of which only introduce other risks. 

Friday, October 28, 2016 in Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Rendering of autonomous cargo train moving across bridge across river in wooded area between Texas and Mexico.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor

The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

6 hours ago - FreightWaves

Rendering of white three-story single-stair building in Austin, Texas with staircase in the middle.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway

Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

7 hours ago - Building Design & Construction

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

June 17 - Mass Transit