Santa Monica Claims Big Drop in Homelessness as Region Sees Rise - Numbers Draw Scrutiny

SANTA MONICA - City officials are trumpeting the latest Point-in-Time Count as proof their approach is working. The 2026 tally found 718 people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica, down 94 from 812 the year before - an 11.6 percent decline and the lowest total since LAHSA began running the city's count in 2024.

Unsheltered numbers fell even more sharply, dropping about 18 percent to 389 people. Vehicle-based homelessness, which had driven last year's increase, reversed course: occupied cars, vans, and RVs fell from 84 to 59, a nearly 30 percent drop. Tents and makeshift shelters also edged lower. Sheltered numbers rose slightly.

The results stand in contrast to most of the Los Angeles region, where overall homelessness continued to climb. Mayor Caroline Torosis called the local decline a milestone, saying it shows a community "that refuses to treat homelessness as inevitable."

Skeptics note that Point-in-Time counts are snapshots vulnerable to weather, methodology, and the well-known difficulty of locating people living in vehicles or hidden spots. With SaMoShel on the chopping block and new motel-based sites still unproven, the question remains whether the lower numbers will hold or simply shift the visible problem from freeway-adjacent lots into residential streets.

For now, City Hall is claiming a rare win in a region still drowning in the crisis. Santa Monica's 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count results stand in clear contrast to the broader Los Angeles region.

Santa Monica (2026)

Total homelessness**: 718 people (down 11.6% from 812 in 2025)

Unsheltered**: 389 (down ~18.1% from 475)

Sheltered**: 222 (up ~9.9%)

Vehicle-based homelessness also fell sharply (occupied vehicles down nearly 30%).

This was the lowest total since LAHSA began administering Santa Monica's count in 2024.

City of Los Angeles (2026)

Total homelessness**: 45,194 (up 3.4% from 43,695 in 2025)

Unsheltered**: 29,115 (up 7.9% from 26,972)

Sheltered**: 16,079

LAHSA described the overall increase as not statistically significant, but the rise in unsheltered homelessness was more notable.

Los Angeles County (2026)

Total homelessness**: 73,040 (up 1.2% from 72,195 in 2025)

Unsheltered**: 49,002 (up 3.3% from 47,450)

Sheltered**: 24,038

(These county figures include the City of Los Angeles and most other jurisdictions; some cities such as Long Beach, Pasadena, and Glendale conduct separate counts that are incorporated into the overall county total in standard reporting.)

Key Comparison

| Geography | Total 2026 | Change from 2025 | Unsheltered 2026 | Unsheltered Change |

|------------------------|------------|------------------|------------------|--------------------|

| Santa Monica | 718 | –11.6% | 389 | –18.1% |

| City of Los Angeles| 45,194 | +3.4% | 29,115 | +7.9% |

| Los Angeles County | 73,040 | +1.2% | 49,002 | +3.3% |

Santa Monica recorded meaningful declines in both overall and especially unsheltered homelessness at a time when the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County saw increases (driven in part by a regional bottleneck in time-limited subsidies and permanent housing placements).

Note that PIT counts are one-night estimates and carry inherent limitations (weather, visibility of vehicle dwellers, methodology, etc.), but they use consistent methods year-over-year within the LAHSA system, allowing directional comparisons.