The Abridged version:
- Nearly 800 volunteers fanned out throughout Sacramento County in January for the Point-in-Time Count, a federally required census of people experiencing homelessness.
- This year, 7,458 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County during the count, a 12.7% increase from 2024.
- Of those experiencing homelessness, more people were sheltered compared to two years ago.
A survey found that 7,458 people in Sacramento County are experiencing homelessness, up nearly 13% from two years ago, according to tallies released Wednesday.
Every two years, Sacramento County conducts a point-in-time count of the homeless population. This year’s count took place over two nights in January, with nearly 800 volunteers surveying the county’s homeless population in urban and rural locations, including river corridors.
Of those who are homeless, 4,205 people were unsheltered, a nearly 7% increase from 2024.
An estimated 3,253 people were living in shelters, up about 22% from two years ago. Sacramento County has added 491 shelter beds and transitional housing beds since 2024.
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Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty described the results as a “mixed bag” at a press conference Wednesday. “It shows some real progress, and it shows where our work is needed going forward,” McCarty said.
McCarty said expanded bed capacity at shelters and transitional housing means more people are off of the streets, but “too many people remain homeless.”
The count, which will be conducted annually starting next year, is managed by the Sacramento City and County Continuum of Care and Sacramento Steps Forward. Organizers said they were able to survey twice as many people as two years ago, offering more insight into the reasons people are experiencing homelessness.
They found nearly 78% became homeless while first living in Sacramento County. Nearly 66% have been experiencing homelessness for at least two years.
More than 25% cited lack of job
About half of those surveyed said affordable housing would help resolve the homeless crisis. A little more than a quarter said they became homeless because of a job loss or lack of income.
“The lack of affordable housing is hindering our opportunity to transition people to success and get more people off of the streets, into those shelters, into those beds and into something more permanent,” McCarty said.
Eviction and conflicts with family or friends were other common reasons why people said they became homeless, said Trent Simmons with Sacramento Steps Forward.
He noted that one demographic in particular — veterans — saw a 15% decline in homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered.
“That progress matters because veterans are a population where targeted resourcing, sustained coordination and housing interventions have been applied over time,” Simmons said.
Overall, men accounted for nearly double the number of individuals as women experiencing homelessness. Black or African American individuals were three to four times more likely to be homeless.
Sacramento and Folsom have fewer unsheltered people
Geographically, the city of Sacramento saw a 19% drop in unsheltered homelessness, or 590 fewer people compared with 2024. Folsom also saw a drop of 40%, or 53 fewer unsheltered people.
Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Galt, Rancho Cordova and unincorporated Sacramento County all saw increases in the total number of unsheltered individuals.
Rancho Cordova had the sharpest rise, adding 158 people, compared to 2024.
Unsheltered homelessness is still most concentrated in the city of Sacramento, Simmons said, but the data shows it is becoming more and more dispersed across the county.
“The numbers countywide have gone up, and we have more people in beds in shelters indoors,” McCarty said. “But the flip side is we don’t have enough places to help people graduate.”
Christina Salerno is the Director of News Visuals for PBS KVIE and Abridged.