Hundreds of volunteers hit the streets to help San Diego get a better handle on the homeless crisis Thursday morning. It’s the annual “point-in-time count,” which tries to identify how many people face homelessness in our community.
Some volunteers say it’s more important than ever to get the community’s pulse on homelessness since this count plays a critical role in how much federal funding goes to local homelessness programs.
“The statistical side really informs the country, the county, the city of San Diego of what resources are needed for what individuals are on the street,” said Paul DeLessio, Employment and Housing Program Manager for Father Joe’s Villages.
According to 2024's point-in-time count, just over 10,000 San Diegans live on the streets.
That’s up 3% from 2023, but there are signs of improvement.
In November and December, the task force reported more people getting off the streets than falling into homelessness downtown. That breaks a three-year streak where those numbers were reversed.
Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who took part in Thursday morning’s count, sees it as a sign of hope.
“What we're seeing out here today confirms what the data has been showing, that more people are getting off the streets and into housing than are falling into homelessness for the first time,” said Whitburn. “The trend is positive.”
Even with the optimism, volunteers and city leaders told ABC 10News that the county still needs more resources, like shelter beds and affordable housing, to put a significant dent in the problem.
“We need to create more shelter beds. If we do that, more people will come off the streets,” said Whitburn. “There, they will stabilize and get in a better position to find a permanent home.”
The point-in-time count wrapped up at 8 a.m. Thursday; however, the Regional Task Force on Homelessness says it takes more than three months to analyze all the data. The information may not be available until the spring or the summer.
