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Partial 2024 California Homeless Count Results
Reveal a Statewide Increase of 2%
Approximately Two-thirds (30) of California’s 44 Continuums of Care (CoCs)
Publicly Reported Their Total 2024 Homeless Count to Date
Joe Colletti, PhD
Hub for Urban Initiatives
Homeless and Housing Strategies for California
July 2024
Click here for a pdf copy of this report
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The 30 CoCs counted 154,641 persons as sheltered and unsheltered in 2024 which represents an increase of 3,052 persons or 2.0% when compared to the 151,589 persons they counted in 2023 as noted in Table 1, which is less than last year’s 2023 to 2022 count comparison that disclosed a statewide increase of approximately 6% for all 44 CoCs.
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The 30 CoCs counted 101,820 persons as unsheltered in 2024 which represents a decrease of 1,069 persons or 1.0% when compared to the 102,889 persons they counted as unsheltered in 2023 as noted in Table 2, which contrasts with last year’s 2023 to 2022 count comparison that disclosed an unsheltered increase of approximately 7% for all 44 CoCs.
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The 30 CoCs counted 52,771 persons as sheltered in 2024 which represents an increase of 4,071 persons or 8.4% when compared to the 48,700 persons they counted in 2023 as noted in Table 3, which is more than last year’s 2023 to 2022 count comparison that disclosed a statewide sheltered increase of 3.5% for all 44 CoCs.
Of the 14 CoCs that have not yet publicly reported their homeless count totals
- Six CoCs completed a sheltered and unsheltered count; and
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Eight CoCs only completed a sheltered count (HUD does not require CoCs to complete an unsheltered count every year but requires an unsheltered count biennially).
Total Count
Table 1 shows that the 30 CoCs collectively counted 3,052 or 2.0% more persons as sheltered and unsheltered in 2024, when compared to the number of persons they counted as sheltered and unsheltered in 2023.
Table 1 also provides regional sub-total comparisons for CoCs located in Northern California, Central California, and Southern California:
- 14 Northern California CoCs counted 1,390 or 3.5% less persons in 2024;
- 5 Central California CoCs counted 2,466 or 32.7% more persons in 2024; and
- 11 Southern California CoCs counted 1,976 or 1.9% more persons in 2024.
Click here to see a regional map of CoCs
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Unsheltered Count
As noted by HUD, CoCs must count all individuals or families who meet the criteria in paragraph (1)(i) of the homeless definition in 24 CFR 578.3. This includes individuals and families “with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground” on the night designated for the count.
Table 2 shows that the 30 CoCs collectively counted 1,069 or 1.0% less persons as unsheltered in 2024 when compared to the number of persons they counted as unsheltered in 2023.
Table 2 also provides regional sub-total comparisons for CoCs located in Northern California, Central California, and Southern California:
- 14 Northern California CoCs counted 3,068 or 11.3% less unsheltered persons in 2024;
- 5 Central California CoCs counted 2,466 or 57.6% more unsheltered persons in 2024; and
- 11 Southern California CoCs counted 467 or 0.7% less unsheltered persons in 2024.
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Sheltered Count
As noted by HUD, CoCs must count all individuals or families who meet the criteria in paragraph (1)(ii) of the homeless definition in 24 CFR 578.3. This includes individuals and families “living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state, or local government programs for low-income individuals)” on the night designated for the count.
Table 3 shows that the 30 CoCs collectively counted 4,071 or 8.4% more persons as sheltered in 2024 when compared to the number of persons they counted as sheltered in 2023.
Table 3 also provides regional sub-total comparisons for CoCs located in Northern California, Central California, and Southern California:
- 9 Northern California CoCs counted 1,628 or 12.5% more sheltered persons in 2024;
- 4 Central California CoCs counted the same number of sheltered persons in 2024; and
- 11 Southern California CoCs counted 2,443 or 7.5% more sheltered persons in 2024.
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Final Count Results
HUD officially releases total homeless count results and related subpopulation data for each CoC and state on HUD Exchange under CoC Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports during the last quarter of each year.
HUD required each CoC to submit their 2024 total homeless count results and related subpopulation data by May 10 of this year. HUD reviews and also revises, if needed, each CoC’s count results and related subpopulation data during the following few months after May 10. Therefore, the 2024 homeless count data noted in the tables above may change slightly for a few CoCs after they publicly reported their count data.
Thus, California’s official 2024 total homeless count results will include:
- The total number of persons counted as unsheltered and sheltered by the 30 CoCs that have publicly reported their count to date after HUD reviews and revises any of their count data if needed;
- The total number of persons counted as unsheltered and sheltered by the six (6) CoCs that have not yet publicly reported their count to date after HUD reviews and revises any of their count data if needed; and
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The total number of persons counted as sheltered by the eight (8) CoCs that only completed a sheltered count in 2024 and the total number of persons these CoCs counted as unsheltered in 2023. In other words, because HUD does not require CoCs to complete an unsheltered count every year but requires an unsheltered count biennially, HUD will add the 2023 unsheltered count to the 2024 sheltered count as the total 2024 count for the 8 CoCs.
In summary, California’s official 2024 total homeless count results will include:
- The total unsheltered and sheltered count and separate unsheltered and sheltered count totals and related subpopulation data for the 36 CoCs that completed an unsheltered and sheltered count in 2024; and
- The combined 2024 sheltered counts and 2023 unsheltered counts for the 8 CoCs that did not complete an unsheltered count in 2024 and related subpopulation data.
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