Most people on the streets of Los Angeles are not from out of town and most are not mentally ill.
A pedestrian passes a woman sleeping on the sidewalk near the Salvation Army on Hollywood Boulevard.
But there are two points about supposedly newly arrived homeless that require attention. One has to do with homeless youth. Los Angeles, particularly Hollywood, has long been a destination for young people who feel shunned or mistreated by their families and leave their homes in other parts of the nation. Theshowed a troubling jump in youth homelessness, including kids from out of town. Deeper study is required to understand and respond to this phenomenon.
Counts and studies consistently find that between a quarter and a third of homeless people are seriously mentally ill or have serious substance abuse problems. But substance abusers and the mentally ill are the most visible face of homelessness because their behavior draws the most attention. And mental illness is more prevalent among people living on the street — and in public view — than among their homeless counterparts who are couch-surfing or living in cars or shelters.
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