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The official one-day homeless count, a tally 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 gauge to measure the success and needs of service programs.
Local officials said the figure was due to a 38 percent increase in the number of people in shelters, a fact they attributed to a growing number of emergency shelter beds available to deal with the crisis.
Data released from the Jan. 25, 2024, count found that homeless people counted outside of a shelter (including those on the streets, in cars, RVs, or tents) increased by 5 percent to 1,145. Combined with those counted in shelters, 322 more people were counted in 2024 than in 2022.
As ongoing housing affordability challenges, income inequalities, and other challenges continue to contribute to homelessness, the county has seen increasing needs in recent years.
In response, the County said it has dedicated significant resources to expanding shelters and other homeless services, with the goal of reaching functional zero, where every homeless person in the County who chooses assistance can be sheltered in an emergency shelter or in temporary or permanent housing.
“While we never like to see our numbers go up, I am encouraged by the fact that we saw an increase in the number of people receiving shelter at our emergency facilities like the Navigation Center and El Camino House,” said Claire Cunningham, director of the Human Services Agency.
“This means fewer people in less safe situations, like on the streets or in tents. And shelters provide case management and support services to help residents move into permanent housing,” she added.
The data is not perfect as it captures only what teams of community workers and volunteers discovered during a few hours on a particular day. For example, in 2022 the count was conducted during adverse weather conditions.
Additionally, the County has also created new shelter capacity at its Navigation Center in Redwood City (240 units) and El Camino House in San Mateo (44 units) over the past two years.
The One Day Count is conducted every two years as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The data collected is compared to historical counts to show trends over time.
The county also conducts surveys of unsheltered homeless individuals in the week following the observational count to provide more granular information about their specific circumstances and demographics.
Notably, the 5 percent increase in unsheltered homeless people in 2024 is smaller than the 21 percent increase between 2019 and 2022.
Of those counted while unsheltered: 40 percent were in a mobile home, 31 percent in a car or van, 19 percent on the street, 7 percent in a tent or makeshift shelter and 3 percent in other.
The 2024 count found that Redwood City had the most homeless people, followed by Pacifica and unincorporated San Mateo County, particularly on the coast.
“This confirms that our work is never done and we remain committed to helping as many of our unhoused residents as are willing to accept it,” said County Executive Mike Callagy.
“Our Board of Supervisors has made achieving zero functional homelessness a key priority, and we are moving toward it with every person we move from the streets or their vehicles to a place with a warm roof, the supports they need to succeed, and the dignity they all deserve,” she said.
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