Many knew Dolores in Altadena. Dolores Memorial at her favorite bus stop, Dec. 21, 2023 (Photo – Nic Arnzen)
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has released its fifth annual report on mortality among people experiencing homelessness.
By News Desk
From 2021 to 2022, the overall mortality rate increased by just 2%. Deaths increased from 3,215 per 100,000 people to 3,282 per 100,000 people. This is good news. The mortality rate among people experiencing homelessness saw a devastating increase of 56% from 2019 to 2021.
The recent plateau in the overall mortality rate can be attributed largely to a leveling off of the rate of drug overdose deaths, and a sharp decline in COVID-19 mortality.
Leading Causes of Death
Overdose:
Drug and alcohol overdose continues to be the leading cause of death among unhoused individuals in 2022, accounting for 37% of all deaths.
Coronary Heart Disease:
The second leading cause of death continues to be coronary heart disease, accounting for 12% of deaths.
Transportation-related injuries:
In 2022 8% of deaths were from transportation-related injuries. Ninety-five percent of those deaths were among pedestrians and cyclists and two-thirds occurred between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m.
Homicide:
Homicide was the fourth leading cause of death, with a rate of 214 per 100,000 people in 2022, the highest rate since these trends have been monitored. In 2021 and 2022, two-thirds of homicide deaths involved firearms.
Suicide:
From 2020 to 2022 the suicide rate almost doubled among unhoused people aged 18-29, and in 2022 this was also the age group with the highest suicide rate.
COVID-19:
The COVID-19 mortality rate peaked in 2021 when it was the fifth leading cause of death among people experiencing homelessness. In 2022, the COVID-19 mortality decreased so substantially that it was no longer among the top 10 causes of death among unhoused people.
Data used
These annual reports use data from the LA County Office of Medical Examiner and California state death records to estimate numbers of deaths among people experiencing homelessness, as well as data from the annual LA County point-in-time homeless count and demographic survey to estimate numbers of people experiencing homelessness and their demographic characteristics. The next report, to be released in early 2025, will include data through 2023.
The full 2024 report includes recommendations for seven actions to reduce mortality among our unhoused individuals. To view the full report online, visit this link.
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