Counting the Homeless
Early this morning, hundreds of volunteers in Alameda County began a headcount of the number of people experiencing homelessness throughout the community on a given night.
Small teams of homeless outreach specialists along with staff from the county, various cities, and members of the community will make their way through neighborhoods, business zones, and known homeless camps as part of the Point-In-Time Count and survey. The count is championed by San Leandro-based EveryOne Home, a non-profit aimed at ending homelessness in Alameda County.
“The count lets our neighbors living on the street know that we see you, we care about you, and we won’t stop pushing until you have a place to call home,” said Chelsea Andrews, Executive Director of EveryOne Home. “It also ensures that we get the statistics we need to rally resources to end and prevent homelessness in our county.”
Survey information collected today includes questions about demographics, health conditions, employment, veteran status, housing history, COVID impact, and connection to the community. Questions added to this year’s count will ask for details about gender and gender identity. Volunteers will also ask the unhoused about their interactions with the criminal justice system including law enforcement and the courts.
Survey data will also be used to examine racial disparities, especially for Black and Native Americans, two of the most disproportionately impacted by homelessness, according to EveryOne Home statistics.
“In the midst of a pandemic, a time where we know the safest place is home, we are faced with the harsh reality that thousands of people in our community do not have a place that they can call home or even a safe place to spend their nights,” Andrews said. “This is unacceptable, and we must continue to push for legislation, resources, and initiatives to combat this crisis.”
In addition to this morning’s tally of people sleeping outside, a separate count will take place later this afternoon for those under the age of 25. The separate count is intended to reach unsheltered families with minor children, who might not sleep in the streets, in camps, or in their cars but who are experiencing homelessness.
Data from today’s Point-In-Time Count will be added to the number of people residing in shelters and transitional housing programs to gather more detailed information.
Nearly 50% Increase in 10 Years
The homeless census has seen a drastic jump since EveryOne Home started reporting its findings in 2009. The initial count was 4,341. The number remained about the same for the next six years until volunteers noticed a slight dip in 2015 to a count of 4,040 unsheltered people. However, the number increased to 5,629 in 2017.
The 2019 Point-In-Time Count estimated 8,022 persons were homeless on a night in January 2019, 79 percent (6,312) of them without shelter in the county. Volunteers found 321 of those unsheltered homeless and 28 sheltered in the unincorporated portions of the county (Castro Valley, Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, etc.). The count in San Leandro found 344 people who were homeless while 74 of those had some temporary shelter.
Data from 2019 showed 45 percent of those counted lived in a vehicle (car, van, RV) while 34 percent lived in a tent. The remainder found shelter on the streets or in abandoned buildings. The survey revealed 73 percent were aged between 25 and 59 with 63 percent of those questioned saying they had been homeless for a year or more. A third or more of those in 2019 reported some type of ongoing health condition such as psychiatric, substance abuse, or PTSD. The overwhelming majority (7,469 or 84 percent) said they were single adults with 61 percent being men, 35 percent women, and 4 percent identifying as either transgender or gender non-binary.
Every two years, the county has conducted its homeless count and survey as required by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The goal is to understand the ongoing shortage of affordable housing and services and make adjustments as needed. The survey was not conducted in 2021 due to COVID-19 considerations.
An infographic with general findings from this count is expected in June with more specific data publicly available later this summer.
Alameda County Housing and Community Development Department, Aspire Consulting, Applied Survey Research, and Alameda County Health Care Services Agency Office of Homeless Care and Coordination also contributed to this year’s count.