Partial 2023 California Homeless Count Results Reveal a Statewide Increase of Nearly 9%

Joe Colletti, PhD//July 4, 2023
Last Updated July 4, 2023 /

More than Half (24) of California’s 44 Continuums of Care (CoCs)
Publicly Reported Their 2023 Homeless Count to Date

  • The 24 CoCs counted 126,082 persons as sheltered and unsheltered in 2023 which represents an increase of 9,936 persons or 6% when compared to the 116,146 persons they counted in 2022, as noted in Table 1.
  • The 24 CoCs counted 86,765 persons as unsheltered in 2023 which represents an increase of 8,112 persons or 10.3% when compared to the 78,653 persons they counted in 2022, as noted in Table 2.
  • The 24 CoCs counted 39,317 persons as sheltered in 2023 which represents an increase of 1,824 persons or 4.7% when compared to the 37,493 persons they counted in 2022, as noted in Table 3.
  • There are six (6) more CoCs that completed a sheltered and unsheltered count in 2023 but have not yet publicly reported their total 2023 Homeless Count and are listed in Section 4 below.
  • There are 14 more CoCs that only completed a sheltered count in 2023 because HUD does not require CoCs to complete an unsheltered count every year but requires an unsheltered count biennially and are listed in Section 4 below.

1. Total Count

Table 1 shows that the 24 CoCs collectively counted 9,936 or 8.6% more persons as sheltered and unsheltered in 2023 when compared to the number of persons they counted as sheltered and unsheltered in 2022.

Table 1 also provides regional sub-total comparisons for CoCs located in Northern California, Central California, and Southern California:

  • 9 Northern California CoCs counted 599 or 2.9% less persons in 2023;
  • 4 Central California CoCs counted 344 or 8.4% more persons in 2023; and
  • 11 Southern California CoCs counted 10,191 or 11.2% more persons in 2023.

Click here to see a regional map of CoCs.

2. 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 24 CoCs collectively counted 8,112 or 10.3% more persons as unsheltered in 2023 when compared to the number of persons they counted as unsheltered in 2022.

Table 2 also provides regional sub-total comparisons for CoCs located in Northern California, Central California, and Southern California:

  • 9 Northern California CoCs counted 1,500 or 10.0% less unsheltered persons in 2023;
  • 4 Central California CoCs counted 270 or 12.1% more unsheltered persons in 2023; and
  • 11 Southern California CoCs counted 9,342 or 15.2% more unsheltered persons in 2023.

3. 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 24 CoCs collectively counted 1,824 or 4.7% more persons as sheltered in 2023 when compared to the number of persons they counted as sheltered in 2022.

Table 3 also provides regional sub-total comparisons for CoCs located in Northern California, Central California, and Southern California:

  • 9 Northern California CoCs counted 901 or 15.2% more sheltered persons in 2023;
  • 4 Central California CoCs counted 74 or 4.0% more sheltered persons in 2023; and
  • 11 Southern California CoCs counted 849 or 2.9% more sheltered persons in 2023.

4. Final Count Results

HUD officially releases total homeless count results and related subpopulation data for each CoC and state in HUD Exchange under CoC Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports during the last quarter of each year.

HUD required each CoC to submit their total homeless count results and related subpopulation data by April 28 of this year. HUD then reviews and also revises, if needed, each CoC’s count results and related subpopulation data during the following few months.

Thus, California’s official 2023 total homeless count results will include:

  • The total number of persons counted as unsheltered and sheltered by the 24 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 following 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;
    • CA-508 Watsonville/Santa Cruz City & County CoC;
    • CA-509 Mendocino County CoC;
    • CA-514 Fresno City & County/Madera County CoC;
    • CA-524 Yuba City/Sutter County CoC;
    • CA-527 Tehama County CoC; and
    • CA-529 Lake County CoC.
  • The total number of persons counted as sheltered by the following 14 CoCs that only completed an annual sheltered count required by HUD; and
  • The total number of persons counted as unsheltered by the 14 CoCs in 2022 because HUD does not require CoCs to complete an unsheltered count every year but requires an unsheltered count biennially, and as a result, adds the CoC’s previous year’s unsheltered count to the following year’s sheltered count as the total count for a year in which only a sheltered count was completed.
    • CA-501 San Francisco CoC;
    • CA-502 Oakland, Berkeley/Alameda County CoC;
    • CA-503 Sacramento City & County CoC;
    • CA-506 Salinas/Monterey, San Benito Counties CoC;
    • CA-507 Marin County CoC;
    • CA-511 Stockton/San Joaquin County CoC;
    • CA-512 Daly City/San Mateo County CoC;
    • CA-518 Vallejo/Solano County CoC;
    • CA-521 Davis, Woodland/Yolo County CoC;
    • CA-522 Humboldt County CoC;
    • CA-525 El Dorado County CoC;
    • CA-526 Tuolumne, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa Counties CoC;
    • CA-602 Santa Ana, Anaheim/Orange County CoC; and
    • CA-614 San Luis Obispo County CoC.

In summary, California’s official 2023 total homeless count results will be available in HUD Exchange under CoC Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Reports during the last quarter of this year and include:

  • The total combined and separate unsheltered and sheltered counts and related subpopulation data for the 30 CoCs that completed an unsheltered and sheltered count in 2023; and
  • The sheltered counts completed by the 14 CoCs in 2023 and their 2022 unsheltered counts.

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