Crediting local outreach efforts and regional housing programs, Monrovia city officials announced a sharp decrease in homelessness this year compared with 2024.
The results of the 2025 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count were released last month and showed the number of unsheltered individuals in Monrovia dropped from 22 in 2024 to nine in 2025. No Monrovia residents experiencing homelessness were staying in temporary shelters, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a joint LA city and county agency that coordinates the annual point-in-time count.
Despite only nine unsheltered individuals counted, the data showed 21 dwellings. This included a reduction in makeshift shelters, tents and vans, while the number of individual vehicles such as cars and RVs slightly increased. In 2024, 28 dwellings were counted.
In 2024, the number of cars used as dwellings totaled seven along with three RVs, compared with 12 cars and five RVs this year. The number of vans decreased from 10 to two.
Monrovia’s Homeless Count Dashboard on the city’s website has additional information.
LAHSA Communication Director Ahmad Chapman offered clarification on the seeming gap between individuals living unsheltered and the number of unsheltered dwellings counted this year.
“Counters are told to count the number of people they see living on the streets and the number of dwellings people experiencing homelessness appear to be using,” Chapman said. “On the night of Monrovia’s count, the counters saw nine people experiencing homelessness on the street and 21 dwellings that looked like they were being used by people experiencing homelessness. The two do not relate to each other.”
Chapman further explained that “LAHSA’s partners at USC use the results of their demographic survey to develop a multiplier that helps them estimate the number of people living in dwellings. However, USC does not develop multipliers for jurisdictions smaller than the county’s service planning areas, so we do not have an estimate for the number of people living in the dwellings in Monrovia.”
Officials said assistance is available for people experiencing homelessness via the city’s partnership with Foothill Unity Center, which offers case management services four days a week at the Monrovia Community Center, 119 W. Palm Ave. Services include help with eviction prevention, housing referrals, food insecurity, senior employment opportunities, health services and financial literacy.
Since starting in 2018, the Monrovia Housing Displacement Response Program has assisted 44 families with financial assistance, according to the city. That support prevented 50 adults and 58 youths from having to leave Monrovia, and has also helped prevent 13 seniors from losing their homes.
In an email to HeySoCal.com, Feik listed initiatives in recent years that he said contributed to this year’s significant homelessness decrease:
“Partnered with LA County and the city of Duarte on the Pathway Home Project in Monrovia,” which converted a vacant hotel to an interim housing shelter with 36 beds benefitting 52 individuals;
“Doubled our funding for the Housing Displacement Response, Family Advocacy and Support Services programs to $200,000 annually” specifically for seniors to “prevent housing displacement, provide wrap-around services” and other assistance;
“Significantly expanded our senior programming,” including daily lunch meetings;
“Continued our partnership with the SGV Council of Governments and LA Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse” to provide a crisis response team to help respond to 911 calls; and
“The city continues to be a leader in new housing under construction,” Feik said. “Our hope is that over time, we’ll continue to see more housing options available for everyone of all income levels.”
Over 72,000 people were experiencing homelessness in LA County with nearly 44,000 in the city of Los Angeles, according to the LAHSA point-in-time count that took place Feb. 18-20. The county and city noted 4% and 3.4% decreases, respectively.
Data from local homeless counts determines how much federal assistance cities and counties receive for outreach efforts, temporary shelters and housing initiatives.
More information on case management and homeless services is available from the Foothill Unity Center.
Updated Aug. 18, 2025, 2:17 p.m.
