For years, the persistent question among San Diego County residents has been: Why isn’t the homeless situation improving despite millions spent on programs, bans, and shelters?
On Tuesday, officials received new data to answer that concern, revealing a slight decrease in the homeless population this year.
According to the latest count, the total number of homeless individuals in the region is 9,905, marking a decline of several hundred from the 2024 figure and representing the first drop since the onset of the pandemic.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria emphasized the importance of this news, stating, “The data released today by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness confirms that our comprehensive strategy to reduce homelessness and build more affordable housing is working.”
Despite this progress, Gloria cautioned against complacency, saying, “When something is working, you don’t change course.”
This year’s numbers revealed that homelessness had decreased across various communities, regardless of the presence of anti-camping ordinances or the types of strategies employed.
Oceanside, for example, reported a decrease in its unsheltered population from 361 to 318. Mayor Esther Sanchez expressed that her city’s goal is to halve that number within three years.
Similarly, Carlsbad Mayor Keith Blackburn credited their decline to a dedicated local outreach team, while Chula Vista Mayor John McCann noted the positive impact of both their local shelter and a stringent encampment ban.
Many local leaders pointed to the vital role of financial assistance in these improvements, with several California mayors planning a lobbying trip to Sacramento this week. Their focus is to encourage lawmakers to continue funding the state’s Homeless, Housing Assistance, and Prevention program, which supports numerous local initiatives.
However, not all data was encouraging. El Cajon was noted as the only large city in the county to experience an increase in its homeless population, rising from 283 last year to 344 this January.
City Manager Graham Mitchell expressed confusion about these figures, stating he had not observed a corresponding rise in encampments during the count.
Mitchell questioned whether El Cajon’s totals included those in unincorporated areas after Tamera Kohler, head of the task force, indicated that the numbers should not reflect outside city boundaries.
In a previous point-in-time count, El Cajon had discovered an unexpectedly high homeless population due to several local hotels accepting rent vouchers for homeless individuals, sparking extensive discussions regarding city oversight of such programs.
These developments underscore a complex and ongoing struggle to address homelessness in El Cajon and throughout the county.
Amid these statistics, the data also highlights a troubling trend: nearly 30% of the homeless population is aged 55 and older. This demographic reality renders them particularly vulnerable.
Melinda Forstey, president and CEO of Serving Seniors, noted that, “Behind these numbers are grandparents, neighbors, and longtime community members. Most are not unhoused due to personal choices, but because of economic hardship.”
Deacon Jim Vargas from Father Joe’s Villages echoed calls for continued rental assistance and the creation of more shelter beds, highlighting the injustice of older adults living on the streets.
In response to the continued challenges, the city of San Diego is working on expanding homelessness projects, including a new women’s shelter downtown and an adjacent safe parking lot near the airport. However, a projected budget deficit may hinder the launch of any new facilities in the next fiscal year.
While this point-in-time count offered a glimpse into the homelessness crisis, experts caution that it is just one of many metrics to evaluate the issue. Other methods indicate that many individuals continue to slide into homelessness, reflecting a deeper and more entrenched systemic problem.
The slight decline in statistics provides a glimmer of hope, but it also serves as a reminder of the work still needed to address homelessness effectively in San Diego County.
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