What this year’s point-in-time count says about homelessness in Stanislaus County
The annual point-in-time count showed a significant drop in Stanislaus County’s homeless population, though some factors might have contributed to a lower reported tally.
The January count identified 1,791 homeless individuals, a 14% decrease from the 2025 total of 2,086.
Maryn Pitt, chairperson of the Community System of Care, said Tuesday that she’s confident of the results after four straight years of decreases or slight increases in the count. The tally was 2,052 in 2024, 2,091 in 2023 and 1,857 in 2022.
Pitt said in a news release that the 2026 PIT count represents meaningful progress in reducing the number of unsheltered people and homeless veterans and families. “While we are encouraged by these outcomes, the data also reminds us that housing affordability, health challenges and barriers to accessing services continue to impact many residents in our community,” Pitt said.
The PIT surveys are conducted to meet requirements for homeless assistance funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It provides a snapshot of sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on a single night in late January.
According to the 2026 count, the number of unsheltered people decreased from 950 in 2025 to 686, almost a 30% reduction.
Just over 1,100 individuals were using shelters in Stanislaus County. About 62% of the individuals counted were either in emergency shelters, transitional housing or other types of temporary housing.
Pitt said the larger number of sheltered people reflects the commitment of providers, outreach efforts and community partners to ensure people are connected with services and safe places to stay.
Factors that may have affected the count
The executive summary for the 2026 count noted that several factors may have resulted in a lower reported homeless count. A law enforcement presence in Turlock, in areas where the homeless are often seen, might have displaced unsheltered people or made it more difficult to contact them.
About 40 fewer unhoused people were counted in Turlock, Pitt said.
The executive summary added: “Some individuals were less willing to engage with count teams due to concerns about governmental or immigration related activity, and others appeared to actively avoid contact.”
The number of volunteers for the 2026 count was down about 44% from the previous year. The county deployed an increased number of outreach team members to cover designated areas, but “this shift may have influenced overall count dynamics,” the executive summary said.
Lynelle Solomon of Modesto, who regularly assists the homeless, said she doesn’t believe the latest count of 1,791 is accurate. “I know people who went out on the PIT count and they said they had a hard time finding people,” Solomon said.
She said she made her rounds Jan. 28, taking food and supplies to folks on the street. “All the people I asked said they were not counted. People are on the move all the time. There are a lot of people living in their cars that don’t get counted,” Solomon said.
Pitt said 225 volunteers participated in the count in January. She said that housing units added at tiny home projects and the Modesto Gospel Mission make her confident fewer people are sleeping on the streets and the needle is moving in the right direction.
Families including children are able to get connected with available services, Pitt said, adding there are other reasons for optimism. In recent years, the youth system of care has been built to include a shelter in Modesto, day center and supportive housing for people in their late teens or early 20s.
“We have seen the biggest gains in an effective system for folks who turned 18 and termed out of foster care, getting them turned around before they’re hardened to the street and that lifestyle,” Pitt said.
Eviction, rent hikes the biggest drivers of homelessness
In the survey, the foremost cause of homelessness was eviction or unaffordable rental increases (50%). Other causes were health problems and loss of family members or dissolution of households. About 20% said they were homeless because of losing a job or income. Other causes were release from incarceration, domestic violence and legal issues.
The survey also identified barriers that keep homeless people from getting assistance. A lack of transportation was most frequently reported, while many others were not sure where to go for help. About a third said they lacked documentation to access services.
Other findings in the point-in-time survey:
- The number of people counted in shelters dropped 3%, from 1,136 to 1,105.
- Homelessness among veterans decreased by 22%.
- The number of homeless families dropped 33%.
- Sixty-two percent of the homeless slept in shelters and 4% in vehicles, while 34% were outdoors.
- Thirty-eight percent of the homeless were female.
- Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed had a serious mental illness, 14% suffered from substance use disorder, 13% were fleeing domestic violence and 1% had HIV-related illness.
Data for Modesto and other cities were not included in the report.
