Here are results of the homeless count in Stanislaus County. How do they compare to 2022?
The number of homeless people in Stanislaus County grew 11% year over year to 2,091 people, according to an annual count taken in January. That’s still fewer homeless people than the county had in 2021, though.
The so-called point-in-time count is taken in late January to provide a 24-hour snapshot of the county’s homeless population.
The Stanislaus County Community System of Care made a Jan. 25 count of “sheltered” individuals and families in emergency shelters, transitional housing and government-paid motel rooms. A second tally of people living without shelter was made on Jan. 26.
The surveys found that 1,142 people were sheltered homeless people assisted by charitable or public programs, an increase of 32% over 2022. The Community System of Care attributed the increase to state and federal funding for motel vouchers.
Of the 2,091 homeless individuals, 949 or 45% were “unsheltered,” meaning they were living outdoors on streets, in parks, abandoned buildings and vehicles.
The point-in-time counts are required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The information is essential for developing services and housing for the homeless, said Emily Webster, vice chairperson of the Community System of Care, in a news release last week.
The county numbers are down from a total of 2,927 homeless people in 2021. The snapshot for 2022, which identified 1,857 homeless people, ran into issues when a COVID-19 surge forced rescheduling of the count to late February, resulting in a significant loss of volunteers and a probable undercount, the Community System of Care said.
Those organizing the 2023 count said the storms in January, which caused flooding, evacuations and road closures, prompted a local state of emergency and pushed some homeless people near rivers into shelters. It possibly influenced the count of sheltered individuals.
For the count in January, the Community System of Care was not hampered by COVID-19 and was able to train more than 300 volunteers.
The January survey found that 1,345 homeless people were male and 731 were female. The largest age group was people 35 to 44, of which there were 501.
Almost three-quarters of the people surveyed said they first experienced homelessness in Stanislaus County. Sixty-two percent said they had been homeless for more than three years. Nine percent of the sheltered homeless were veterans.
Modesto had the county’s largest homeless population at 1,642. Turlock was second with 233.
When asked the reason for being homeless:
- 27% said they were asked to leave the place where they stayed.
- 26% reported abuse and violence in the home.
- 23% cited the cost of rent or a mortgage.
Almost one-fourth of adults surveyed said they had a serious mental illness, while 16% struggled with a substance use disorder.
The homeless people said some of the obstacles to getting services were a lack of personal identification or other documents, lack of transportation and not knowing where to get help.
The county data will be shared with HUD and agencies and community groups that are trying to reduce homelessness.
