Los Angeles homelessness rose again, and Mayor Karen Bass pointed the finger at President Trump and federal policy cuts.
Quick Take
- Los Angeles’ 2026 homeless count showed a 3.4 percent rise in the city and a 1.2 percent rise countywide after two years of decline.
- Bass said Trump-era policies drove up costs for gas, groceries, and rent, while also cutting safety net funding.
- The mayor also said federal housing aid was cut by 50 percent last year, which hit Los Angeles by $70 million.
- City and county figures still show a long-running housing crisis shaped by high rents and weak affordability.
Bass Blames Washington After New Count Shows a Setback
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority count showed homelessness rose again in the city after two years of declines. Reporting said the city’s total increased 3.4 percent, while the county rose 1.2 percent. Bass responded by blaming President Trump and his administration for higher living costs and funding cuts. KTLA reported that she said the administration had pushed more families to the edge and slashed key support programs.
Bass also argued that Los Angeles had made progress before the latest setback. In her statement, she said city efforts had driven homelessness down for two straight years, but could not keep pace with federal and state policy changes. That claim matches the basic timing of the new count, which showed a reversal after prior declines. The numbers do not settle the blame fight, but they do show the problem is not easing.
High Costs Still Shape the Crisis
Los Angeles has fought homelessness for years, and the larger record points to housing costs as the core pressure. UCLA’s history report says homelessness in the city was already rising before COVID-19 and ties the crisis to long-running housing and labor problems. The California Community Foundation says homelessness and poverty are closely linked, while other research cited in the package points to affordable housing shortages, low wages, and unstable income as major drivers.
That context matters because it shows why the political argument keeps repeating. City leaders often blame outside policy changes, while critics focus on management and spending. The new count gives Bass a real talking point, since the numbers did rise after two years of gains. But the broader evidence still shows Los Angeles has been trapped in a housing affordability crisis for years, long before this week’s blame game.
Why the Latest Numbers Hit Bass Hard
The timing is politically damaging for Bass because homelessness remains one of the city’s most visible failures. Politico reported that the latest count undercut a central part of her reelection message, even though she had already told donors the 2026 numbers would likely show a setback. Fox News also reported that the city’s rise was linked to higher living costs and cuts to short-term housing subsidies.
🚨 Karen Bass promised to end street homelessness in LA by 2026.
It’s 2026.
⁰Homelessness is up.
⁰Unsheltered is up nearly 8%.Her response? Blame Trump. Blame bureaucrats. Blame everyone but herself.
Wall Street Journal: She blew hundreds of millions on programs that… pic.twitter.com/aMTKTf7UKY
— Trent Leisy (@realTrentLeisy) July 26, 2026
For readers who are tired of excuses, the fight over blame will sound familiar. Bass is pointing to Washington. Her critics are pointing to City Hall. The facts now on the table are simple: homelessness went up again in Los Angeles, and the mayor says federal policy made the situation worse. What happens next will depend on whether officials can turn that argument into actual housing, not just another round of press releases.
Sources:
betterangels.la, latimes.com, luskincenter.history.ucla.edu, laist.com
