Homelessness has become a contentious issue in San Diego County, with various counts presenting differing narratives on the crisis.
Local leaders frequently point to contrasting statistics, creating confusion for the public as well as for decision-makers who rely on these numbers for funding and policy decisions.
Within the county, multiple methods exist for quantifying homelessness, leading to debates on which figures truly reflect the reality of the situation.
One of the most prominent methods used is the annual point-in-time count, a comprehensive survey that takes place once a year.
Over 1,000 volunteers comb through the county, searching for homeless individuals in various settings such as parks and encampments under bridges.
On this day, teams document their findings by asking detailed questions about the individuals’ circumstances, including issues relating to mental health and substance abuse.
Additionally, volunteers check in with shelters to determine the number of individuals currently seeking refuge.
The most recent count was conducted in January, with results released by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness in May of the same year.
This year marked a notable decrease in homelessness, a change that has not been seen in recent years.
Yet, this method has its drawbacks. It only occurs on a single day, rendering it susceptible to variables such as weather, which can displace individuals seeking shelter temporarily.
Some individuals might intentionally avoid the count, as reported by a formerly homeless woman who hid from volunteers during the survey.
This led many officials to suggest that these figures should only be regarded as the minimum number of homeless individuals in the county.
In contrast, the Regional Task Force also releases monthly reports providing insight into the ongoing crisis from a different perspective.
If individuals become homeless and seek aid from service organizations, their information is logged into a database called the Homeless Management Information System.
More than 140 agencies contribute to this database, allowing for a more dynamic overview of homelessness, tracking both new instances of homelessness as well as individuals who successfully find housing.
Unfortunately, despite the optimism surrounding these efforts, the data often indicates that more people are entering homelessness than are exiting into stable housing.
In April, for example, over 1,080 individuals reported becoming homeless for the first time, while only 966 found housing.
This trend points to an increasing homelessness problem that officials find concerning, although many are hesitant to use this method as a definitive measurement of the total homeless population.
One significant segment of the homeless community that often falls outside traditional counts is represented in public school districts.
San Diego Unified School District, for instance, conducts a housing questionnaire for students at the beginning of each academic year.
This questionnaire identifies students living in various precarious conditions, ranging from those living in cars or parks to a broad definition that includes those residing with others in overcrowded situations.
For the 2024-25 school year, San Diego County reported 19,841 homeless students, a sharp increase compared to the previous year’s count of under 17,900.
This figure starkly contrasts the numbers gathered during the point-in-time count, underscoring the importance of including the youth in discussions around homelessness.
Private organizations have also launched their counting initiatives, focusing on homelessness within specific geographic boundaries.
For example, the Downtown San Diego Partnership, committed to economic development, conducts monthly surveys to gauge homelessness within downtown San Diego.
In April, their count yielded 902 unsheltered individuals in the area, marking a recent increase but still considerably lower than counts prior to the implementation of the city’s camping ban.
At one point earlier that year, counts recorded 2,104 individuals sleeping outdoors, illustrating the scale of the issue before legislative action.
When local officials claim that homelessness has decreased following the passage of the Unsafe Camping Ordinance, they may refer specifically to data from this partnership’s counts.
Further out from the urban core, organizations such as the San Diego River Park Foundation conduct frequent checks on encampments along the region’s waterways.
This organization’s tallies focus on the encampments themselves rather than the individuals inhabiting them, revealing that a single encampment can host multiple residents.
Although the number of active camps surged during the pandemic, reports indicate that the total has significantly dropped in recent months.
In fact, their latest count recorded only 63 active encampments between the city of San Diego and Santee, a notable decline attributed to state grants aiding cleanup and connecting residents to services.
As the issue of homelessness persists, it becomes increasingly essential to understand the complexity behind the statistics.
Disparate counting methods illuminate different aspects of the crisis, raising questions about funding allocations and the effectiveness of current strategies.
Ultimately, digging into these varying statistics enables local leaders and community members to forge more informed actions aimed at addressing homelessness in San Diego County.
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