Fewer homeless in L.A.

The number of homeless in Los Angeles County dropped 17 percent over the past two years - and was down more than 40 percent in the San Fernando Valley alone, according to a report released Thursday. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

But while Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority officials said their biennual count found the estimated number of people homeless on any given day dropped from 88,345 to 73,000, many questioned the findings.

"Where did 15,000 homeless people in Los Angeles go? Clearly we did not build that number of affordable housing units and/or shelter beds," asked Joel John Roberts, chief executive officer of PATH Partners, an organization working to break the cycle of homelessness. "So 15,000 homeless people either left on their own, or the number is inaccurate."