THE HUTCHINSON REPORT: People living in cars overlooked in homeless counts

By Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Contributing Columnist

The figure that the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count released in 2024 was stunning. It counted more than 23,000 people that live in cars on any given night in Los Angeles.

What was even more stunning was that this was almost certainly an undercount. An undercount for two reasons.

One, cars, unlike homeless encampments, can be moved daily or even hourly. Two, cars, unlike homeless encampments, are often temporary, part-time lodging. Some people can live for a day or so in their car and move into a fixed location shelter only to return to their car when necessary.

Homeless car dwelling then is an even more challenging problem than encampments. For instance, a couple of blocks from my house two individuals nightly make their residence in their cars. However, at the crack of dawn they are gone. At night they return.

They almost certainly are not counted among those residing in their cars. Further, a 2022 study by UCLA’s Institute of Transportation Studies found other significant differences between those living in cars and those in street encampments. One, the car dwellers are more likely to be women, in many cases with children.

Another significant difference is that they are less likely to be counted among the chronically unhoused. This makes it even harder to provide services for them.

That disturbing fact further reaffirmed that those living in cars were much more transitory, and fragmented than those living in encampments. It also affirmed that those living in cars are far more likely to be grossly undercounted.

In 2017, L.A. County implemented the Safe Parking Program to counter the car living problem. At best, it has had mixed results.

It has several designated parking locations throughout the county. Those who live in cars can park their vehicles there.

The lots are well lit and are patrolled by security guards. The major problem, though, as with other homeless support programs is paltry funding. The result: two few lots, too few parking spaces in them, and too few services offered to those in them.

Worse, in April, L. A. County officials announced that the program would face a major funding cut in June. There is little surprise that the first to be hit hard by the cuts would be the three principal safe parking sites in South Los Angeles and Compton. The majority of those parked in these sites are African Americans and Hispanics.

But even this does not tell the whole story about the program and the threat. The three sites accommodated less than 40 occupants or “households” as they are euphemistically labeled. They have a grand total of roughly 60 spaces. The scant number of spaces pales in comparison to the massive demand for safe parking spots by those living in cars.

The Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System that runs the program recognizes the severity of the crisis. It notes that those who will be forced out of the program because of the pending cuts will wind up back out on the streets in “unregulated and unsafe environments,” increasing exposure to theft, harassment, citations and instability.”

Several of the occupants at the safe parking sites told the same sad story. If forced out they again would have few options. They almost certainly would return to isolated and unsafe locations, subject to physical endangerment, as well as constant harassment by law enforcement, and the complaints and outrage of neighborhood homeowners.

Program officials confirmed once more that the single greatest reason for the surge in the homeless in L.A. County, and that includes car dwelling, is the lack of affordable housing. The majority of those who are forced to live in their cars have jobs, and in some cases, secure professions.

However, the astronomical rents and housing costs in nearly every area of Los Angeles, combined with the lack of affordable rentals, make it nearly impossible for even gainfully employed individuals to find suitable housing.

The one hope is that emergency funding can be found to forestall major cuts in the safe parking program. L.A. city and county officials have hinted at the possibility of securing stop gap funding from either the state or federal emergency funding programs. But there is no guarantee that that will happen in time to at prevent the downsizing if not outright closure of the safe parking outlets in South L.A. and Compton.

For now, it’s a matter of wait and hope that those who rely on safe and secure parking spaces can get a safe and secure decent night’s sleep without a roof over their head or even an encampment tent to sleep in. Home sweet car for thousands in L.A. County is yet another of the many ugly twists in L.A.’s seemingly never-ending homeless nightmare.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His forthcoming book is “The Epstein Distraction” (Amazon ebook and Middle Passage Press). He also hosts the weekly news and issues commentary radio show “The Hutchinson Report” Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at ktymgospel.net and Facebook Livestreamed at facebook.com/earl.o.hutchinson.