The number of people living outdoors or in vehicles increased in Escondido, Encinitas and El Cajon.
This population has also increased in Vista and Chula Vista as well as the city of San Diego.
Yet even though more than 10,000 homeless people were again counted countywide in January, the highest total in at least more than a decade, the overall increase was less pronounced than in recent years.
“What we’re starting to see is perhaps a high point,” Tamera Kohler, CEO of the Regional Homeless Task Force, said in an interview. “Now maybe we can size our system correctly. »
The task force’s annual point-in-time count, the results of which were released Wednesday, found that at least 10,605 people countywide were without a stable roof near the start of the year.
This is a slight increase compared to 2023, although the share of people without a bed has increased considerably: more than 6,100 people were recorded as homeless, an increase of 18% year-on-year.
This may be due in part to some new homelessness initiatives that are not considered “shelters,” such as secure parking lots where people can sleep in their cars. The same goes for the two designated camping areas in San Diego near Balboa Park, known as Safe Sleeping Sites, which recently hosted more than 470 people.
Both approaches may come with security and support services, but lack traditional roofs, walls and beds.
Several single beds on 16th Street in San Diego.
(Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The number of homeless people with beds fell by nearly 600. Fewer than 4,500 were counted in places like the East County Transitional Living Center, Father Joe’s Villages or private hotels.
It’s not that the shelters now have free places. Instead, Kohler attributed the decline to the end of some pandemic aid, primarily from the federal government, which had paid for hotel rooms.
Couples and adults with children are often good candidates for hotels, and not surprisingly, the number of homeless families has increased, from two dozen last year to 43 in January.
The vast majority of people without shelter – 81 percent – reported becoming homeless again in San Diego County.
It was the first point-in-time count since the San Diego City Council passed a camping ban, which increased penalties for sleeping outdoors. The order corresponded with a notable drop in downtown encampments, and it’s unclear where many of these people were going.
The count shows a greater number of homeless individuals in neighboring cities.
In North County, Escondido’s population jumped to more than 400 residents, an increase of about a third, while Carlsbad and Vista each nearly doubled to 112 and 170 residents, respectively.
In the south, Chula Vista grew from less than 320 residents to more than 500 residents. The population of Spring Valley in East County increased by several dozen to nearly 130 residents.
But the overall proportion of each region’s homeless population, which includes people living in shelters and on the streets, has generally not seen a drastic change. The city of San Diego still has about two-thirds of the total. North and South counties saw their share increase only about 2 percent.
East County actually saw a decline, going from 17 percent of the county’s total to less than 12, which could be due to fewer people renting hotel rooms. (More hotels in El Cajon have agreed to accept vouchers than businesses elsewhere, which has also led local leaders to step up oversight of such programs.)
Kohler attributed the higher numbers in individual cities to a lack of affordable housing. A recent countywide study found that a large share of low-income residents spend more than half of their income on rent, which can precede homelessness.
An encampment near the Imperial Avenue ramp on southbound Interstate 5 in San Diego.
(Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“We have a growing population that is struggling to find housing,” Kohler said. “This is now happening in places that were historically considered more affordable.”
According to Kohler, the camping ban instead seems to encourage some people to trade downtown San Diego for other areas of the same city.
Similar ordinances have been considered in other communities. Poway adopted one. National City decided not to do so. Escondido has not yet banned camping but has adopted a new anti-homeless policy emphasizing the importance of sobriety.
At the same time, everyone is waiting to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will give cities more leeway to clean up encampments. A decision is expected in the coming weeks.
Only seven locations in the county saw fewer residents experiencing homelessness. Most were either small, unincorporated communities like Alpine, or the number of people involved was negligible. Coronado, for example, found no one living outside in January. Last year there was one.
The data gives additional clues about the situation of individual groups.
More and more veterans continue to find themselves on the streets – there were more than 540 this year – although they still represent less than a tenth of the total. The share of homeless elderly people remains around 30 percent.
An encampment near the Imperial Avenue exit on Interstate 5 southbound in San Diego.
(Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Racial disparities persist. Black people make up about 5 percent of the county’s total population, but make up nearly a fifth of the homeless population.
The oldest person found was an 85-year-old Hispanic woman. More than 80 children had no shelter.
The point-in-time count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and provides a rare snapshot of the entire region. However, there are weaknesses.
The count only covers a single day and relies largely on volunteers. Anyone couch surfing or using their own money to stay in a motel is likely to remain hidden. Additionally, the number of people that can be found has always been influenced by the weather, and this year’s count came just days after the historic Jan. 22 storm displaced populations in the region.
The task force also publishes monthly reports that track anyone seeking help, and these statistics are arguably more reliable.
In April, the nonprofit reported that more than 1,300 people lost their housing for the first time while fewer than 970 homeless people found housing, marking the 25th consecutive month of worsening crisis .
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