This is an LA Times Studios podcast.

Hi, I'm Angelica Coronado at LA Times Studios.

Here are some of today's headlines from the Los Angeles Times.

The number of homeless people in L.A. County continues to decline, according to a new annual count.

L.A. Times reporters say homelessness dropped by 4% this year, the second consecutive year of

decline, suggesting taxpayer-funded programs may be making an impact. Paul Rubinstein from the

LA Homeless Services Authority credits the drop to encampment removal efforts that connect people to shelters, hotels, or motels when they choose to accept. But LA County supervisor Lindsay Horvath says progress is still too slow, warning that at the current pace, it could take 300 years to solve the crisis.

Efforts to ramp up support are under pressure. The Trump administration's plan to make cuts

to Section 8 housing and the state budget are already affecting organizations working on the ground.

A new fire defense system using swimming pool water rather than public utilities

is gaining popularity as California residents seek better ways to protect their homes.

Noah Haggerty reports that the system works by using a gas-powered pump attached to a sprinkler

that can spray 50 gallons of water per minute and run for over six hours with a 20,000

gallon pool. Patrick Galling developed the device with another engineer after using a makeshift's

version to save his father's home during the January fires. But fire officials say there isn't

enough evidence to prove these sprinklers are effective, adding that they may distract from proven methods like brush clearing.

Galling acknowledges the limitations and presents his product as just one tool homeowners can

use while taking other steps to prepare.

President Trump is proposing changes to the United States Department of Housing and Urban

Development that

could affect more than 1 million people's housing security.

Sally Ho and Charlotte Crayman report that Trump's planned reshaping of the department includes

...