The San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness Tuesday updated the number of homeless people within the city of El Cajon, after thee city’s mayor publicly criticized results from the annual Point-In-Time Count.
The results of that count, a one-day snapshot of the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness throughout the region, released earlier in May, found a significant increase in the number of people without stable housing in El Cajon.
The only city to post a significant gain in both percentage and number of unhoused people was El Cajon. The number of unsheltered people increased from 283 to 344, or by 61 people, a 21.6% increase.
“The county included individuals outside our city limits, counted people they themselves placed into El Cajon hotels through their ineffective hotel voucher program and tallied areas not even within our jurisdiction,” said Mayor Bill Wells, who is running for re-election.
According to the commission, after a closer analysis of count locations, “it was determined that 24 individuals experiencing homelessness were in area(s) outside of El Cajon’s city limits,” which means El Cajon’s numbers of unsheltered still rose, but by 37 people, or 13.07%.
“Moving forward, to reflect this geographic area more accurately, the census tract designation will change from `El Cajon’ to `El Cajon, including unincorporated communities,”‘ commission officials said.
The city of El Cajon and the commission remain committed to working together to improve data collection and messaging and fostering transparency, the officials added.
In an email, Wells told City News Service that he appreciated the task force working with El Cajon to clarify the numbers.
“It’s clear to me that there are some flaws in the point-in-time count methodology and that this resulted in the numbers of homeless in El Cajon being overstated,” Wells added.
The Regional Task Force’s CEO said the Point-in-Time Count “is an imperfect tool, but it is a vital one in helping us understand the scope of homelessness across our region.”
“While it’s just one snapshot in time, the data informs how we plan, fund and deliver services to those most in need,” Tamera Kohler added. “We value our partnerships with cities like El Cajon, whose engagement and feedback help strengthen the interpretation and transparency of the count. Collaborative efforts like this make our entire regional response more effective.”
El Cajon’s city officials appreciated the commission’s “willingness to work closely with our staff to review the 2025 count and clarify key details,” City Manager Graham Mitchell said in a joint statement.
The homeless data was collected in January, when more than 1,700 volunteers, including site coordinators, trained outreach workers and county staff hit the streets to speak to those living without stable housing.
The volunteers found no fewer than 9,905 people experiencing homelessness throughout the county, down from 10,605 a year ago. This year’s data include 5,714 unsheltered San Diegans and 4,191 individuals in shelters and transitional housing.
Also down were Carlsbad by 15%, Encinitas by 12%, Oceanside and La Mesa by 9% and Chula Vista by 6%.
Last year’s count found the number of homeless increased by an estimated 3% over the previous year, and the 2023 figures reported a 20% increase.
The number of homeless senior citizens, who make up fully a third of those experiencing homelessness in the region, increased by 5% over the year. Half of them became homeless for the first time. The oldest person found unsheltered was an 80-year-old white male.
The number of people living in vehicles also saw an increase of 7%, while the number of homeless transitional age youth (18-24) declined by 22%.
The number of families living unsheltered dropped dramatically, by 72%, and the number of veterans in the same situation also dropped by double- digits, 25%.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, safe sleeping and safe parking sites count as being homeless.
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