LOS CERRITOS
Winner of Nineteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012-2021 Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities since 1985 • July 31, 2026 • Vol. 41, No. 39 • LOSCERRITOSNEWS.NET
Who’s Up? Who’s Down? The 2026 Homeless Numbers Are In, How Did Your City Rank? By Brian Hews The 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count painted a mixed picture across Southeast Los Angeles County, with some cities reporting sharp increases in unsheltered homelessness while others recorded declines or little change from a year ago.
next throughout the region. Cerritos Homeless Count Jumps 270%, One of Region’s Largest Increases The number of unsheltered homeless people counted in Cerritos increased dramatically during the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, rising from 10 people in 2025 to 37 this year, a 270 percent increase
LOS ANGELES County Supervisor Janice Hahn joined faith leaders and community members during a multifaith vigil July 25 at Knabe Regional Park in Cerritos. Held before the “Together We Are Stronger: Stop AntiAsian Hate” mural, the gathering included prayers, scripture readings, and a remembrance ceremony honoring individuals organizers associated with recent ICE enforcement-related deaths.
Millions More Californians Can Now Add Driver’s Licenses to Their Smartphones
Sup. Hahn Joins MultiFaith Vigil at Knabe Regional Park Calling for ICE Accountability Interfaith gathering at featured prayers, remembrance, and calls for accountability following ICE-related deaths cited by organizers.
DIGITAL ID: California’s expanded mobile driver’s license program allows millions more residents to securely store and present their driver’s license on a smartphone.
California dramatically expands smartphone driver’s licenses, giving millions more residents a faster, more secure way to verify their identity. By Brian Hews Millions more Californians can now carry a digital version of their driver’s license or state identification card on their smartphones following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of legislation that significantly expands the state’s mobile driver’s license program. The new law increases participation from 15% of California’s licensed drivers to 60%, making the program available to as many as 21 million residents. Since the pilot program launched in 2023, approximately 3.9 million Californians have enrolled. A mobile driver’s license allows users to securely verify their identity or age directly from their smartphone at participating locations without hand-
By Brian Hews
ing over a physical card, giving users greater control over the personal information they share. The expansion is part of the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ continuing modernization effort. More than 90% of DMV transactions can now be completed online, while QR code check-ins at field offices have reduced customer wait times by nearly 40%. The department has also introduced digital signature barcodes on driver’s licenses and identification cards to help reduce identity fraud. Drivers should still keep their physical driver’s license with them while operating a vehicle. State officials emphasized that the mobile driver’s license is intended to supplement—not replace—the traditional card because many law enforcement agencies, government offices and businesses have not yet adopted the technology. Currently, digital driver’s licenses are accepted at select Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints,
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn joined faith leaders and community members at a privately organized multi-faith vigil July 25 at Don Knabe Regional Park honoring people whom organizers said died during encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The gathering was held in front of the 100-foot “Together We Are Stronger: Stop Anti-Asian Hate” mural, commissioned by LA vs Hate, a program of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations. Hahn participated in the mural’s unveiling in August 2021. During the vigil, Hahn read from the Gospel of Matthew 25:31-45, quoting the passage, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” According to organizers, Hahn encouraged attendees to seek accountability, transparency, and independent investigations into ICE enforcement actions while urging businesses to protect employees, customers, and surrounding communities during immigration enforcement operations. Faith leaders representing
See LICENSE, Page 4
See VIGIL, Page 4
MIXED: Annual homeless count shows different trends across S.E. Los Angeles County, with Cerritos recording the largest increase and Bellflower posting the largest decrease. Graphic by Brian Hews. The annual Point-in-Time Count, conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, is a one-night census of people experiencing homelessness and serves as the region’s benchmark for measuring year-to-year trends. The data also helps determine how millions of dollars in federal homelessness funding are distributed to local agencies and service providers. Among the cities covered by Los Cerritos Community News, percentage changes varied widely. Cerritos recorded the largest increase, with its unsheltered homeless population rising 270 percent, while Pico Rivera posted the largest decrease, cutting its unsheltered homeless population nearly in half. Bellflower and Santa Fe Springs reported no year-over-year change. Although percentage changes can appear dramatic in cities with relatively small homeless populations, the figures provide a consistent snapshot of how homelessness is changing from one year to the
that ranked as the largest percentage increase among cities in the Los Cerritos Community News coverage area. The annual Point-in-Time Count found no sheltered homeless residents in the city, meaning all individuals identified during the count were living outdoors or in vehicles. Volunteers documented 70 dwellings associated with homelessness, including 16 cars, eight vans, eight recreational vehicles, 34 makeshift shelters and four tents. Despite the sharp percentage increase, Cerritos’ total of 37 unsheltered individuals remained below neighboring Norwalk, which recorded 102, and Downey, which counted 98. The Point-in-Time Count is conducted each year to provide a snapshot of homelessness throughout Los Angeles County and helps determine the distribution of federal homelessness funding.
Homeless Count by the Numbers Cerritos Homeless Jumps 270% The 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count showed dramatically different trends across Southeast Los Angeles County, with some cities reporting sharp increases in unsheltered homelessness while others experienced significant declines. Among the cities covered by Los Cerritos Community News, Cerritos recorded the largest
percentage increase. The city counted 37 unsheltered homeless individuals, up from 10 in 2025, an increase of 27 people, or 270 percent. The annual Point-in-Time Count found no sheltered homeless residents in Cerritos, meaning everyone identified during the survey was living outdoors or in vehicles. Volunteers documented 70 dwellings associated with home-
See HOMELESS, Page 5