SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — After COVID-19 forced counties throughout the Bay Area to cancel their biennial homeless count, volunteers are gearing up to gather census data this week.
Every two years local governments conduct the count by producing estimates and population data about the county’s most vulnerable residents.
The count is crucial for local governments to better understand its homeless situation and identify the needs of people living on the street.
Starting this week, most Bay Area counties will deploy volunteers to scour streets, tents, and underpasses to physically count unhoused residents.
For most counties, the last “point-in-time” count took place in 2019.
The results from 2019 painted a grim picture and many homeless advocates are afraid COVID-19 has only made things worse for those living on the streets.
Data collected from the point-in-time count is part of a federal requirement for each county to receive funding and is used to contribute to national estimates of homelessness.
Homeless count by county (based on 2019 and 2020 data):
Napa County — 464 people experiencing homelessness.
Marin County — 1,034 people experiencing homelessness.
Solano County — 1,151 people experiencing homelessness.
San Mateo County — 1,512 people experiencing homelessness.
Contra Costa County — 2,277 people experiencing homelessness.
Sonoma County — 2,745 people experiencing homelessness.
Alameda County — 8,022 people experiencing homelessness.
San Francisco — 8,035 people experiencing homelessness.
Santa Clara County — 9,707 people experiencing homelessness.