San Luis Obispo County officials report their five-year plan to cut homelessness in half is showing signs of success. This year’s preliminary Point-in-Time Count data shows a nearly 20% drop in the overall homeless population from 2022.
The unsheltered count increased by 359 individuals, while sheltered numbers rose.
The data still has to be verified by the state and it’s subject to change.
According to Kari Howell from the County Homeless Services Division, this indicates that local housing and shelter efforts are moving in the right direction.
“This is a trend that's promising and reflects the growing system of care,” Howell said. “An increase in sheltering options means folks are comfortable reaching out to services.”
The County's five-year plan to reduce homelessness prioritizes shelter and housing programs. For example, the Welcome Home Village project plans to build 80 supportive housing units by 2025.
County officials noted the improved accuracy of this year's Count compared to 2022 when Covid-19 restrictions limited outreach. Volunteers were only able to count homeless people from their cars, and the survey responses had to be extrapolated from a limited sample size.
This year, 200 volunteers traveled by foot to conduct the count and surveys.
“We’re really proud of these results because we were able to see more accurately from the people themselves who are experiencing homelessness what they need and what they're going through,” Howell said.
The County plans to release the complete data with detailed demographics and survey responses in late spring.
