Friday, January 31, 2025

San Mateo County records 2,130 homeless people in 2024 count

2,130 homeless people recorded in San Mateo County in one-day count in 2024
The official count for a day found 2,130 homeless people in San Mateo County as of January 25, 2024. Clyde Virges of WeHOPE, a nonprofit social services agency, drives its team through East Palo Alto in search of homeless individuals on Jan. 25, 2024. Credit: San Mateo County Executive's Office.

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The official one-day homeless count, a count of those living on the streets in every corner of San Mateo County or spending the night in a shelter, found 2,130 homeless people on January 25, 2024.

The figures represent an increase of 18 percent compared to a count carried out in 2022, according to the City Council.

While imperfect, the point-in-time count, officials said in a statement, provides a snapshot of what homeless officials use as a proxy for measuring homelessness and program needs.