L.A. County Residents Increasingly Discontented with Quality of Life

A report issued by the Public Policy Institute of California indicates that residents of Los Angeles County are more and more unhappy abut traffic and the cost of housing. Fewer residents are happy with the level of police protection and parks, beach and recreation facilities, and a growing number are worried about the region’s long-term progress. According to the report, 33 percent of county residents plan to leave Los Angeles County within five year. In 2003, only 17 percent said they planned to relocate over five years. Seventy four percent of respondents said congestion on freeways is a big problem, and 64 percent said the same thing about the availability of affordable housing. More residents gave the economy favorable ratings compared with last year — a majority of people said things are going very well or somewhat well. However, the Institute reported that 37 percent expect the county to be a worse place to live in twenty years. Read the full report.