Nearly 1,700 volunteers are preparing to aid the Regional Taskforce on Homelessness and local organizations for this year’s Point-in-Time Count beginning next Thursday.
The annual count, by the San Diego Continuum of Care, identifies how many people are experiencing homelessness in the region and contributes to a national homelessness data archive.
The count helps providers and policymakers to identify driving factors of homelessness and address the needs of the region’s homeless population.
The PIT Count, which will start at 4 a.m., also determines how much funding a county can receive from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Last year, San Diego County had the fourth largest unsheltered population in the nation.
The 2024 PIT Count found that 10,605 people were experiencing homelessness in the San Diego County region and 58% of those were unsheltered. The report identified a lack of access to health care or detox services as barriers that keep people from escaping homelessness.
From 2023-2024, it’s estimated that homelessness increased by 3% in the county, compared to an 18% increase across the U.S.
Unaffordable housing, natural disasters, and an increased number of asylum seekers contributed to the national increase, according to HUD.
Father Joe’s Villages, a homeless service provider, said November 2024 was the first month since March 2022 where the number of people exiting homelessness in the county exceeded the number of people who became homeless.
“From what we’re seeing, the number of people who are crossing our threshold for services is still at a steady pace,” said Deacon Jim Vargas, chief executive officer of Father Joe’s Villages.
“The reality is that we’re not in a position to be able to shelter all of them. The city needs more shelter beds.”
In addition to shelter beds, Vargas said the city needs more diverse resources to care for the increase in senior populations on the streets, as well as families and those who are disabled.
Nearly 25% of both sheltered and unsheltered homeless people in the county in the last two years were at least 55 years old.
The PIT Count divides the county’s data collection into five subregions: the city of San Diego, North County Coastal, North County Inland, East County, and South County. A majority of people experiencing homelessness in the county live in the city of San Diego, with 64% of the county’s total homeless population.
According to RTFH, 32% of people experiencing homelessness in the first 10 months of 2024 were chronically homeless, meaning they have been homeless for at least a year or had experienced four homeless episodes within three years and have a disabling condition.
The 2025 PIT Count will be assisted by San Diego’s four leading homeless service providers: People Assisting The Homeless, Home Start, Inc., San Diego Behavioral Services Coalition, and Father Joe’s Villages.
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