Every year, hundreds of residents and County employees wake before the sun rises to take part in the annual Point-in-Time Count, a one-day snapshot of the region’s homeless population.
The County encourages community members to sign up to volunteer and support this year’s regional effort happening on Thursday, Jan. 29.
Yearly, County employees represent the largest single group of participants, with around 300 volunteering, on the clock, to take part. But it takes many more – about 1,700 in all – to effectively conduct the regional count.
The annual Point-in-Time Count is coordinated by San Diego’s Regional Task Force on Homelessness. It provides a one-day total of the number of people experiencing homelessness in San Diego County, including those in emergency shelters and safe parking lots.
Registration is still open for the Point in Time Count set to take place on Jan. 29 from 4 to 8 a.m. The Regional Task Force on Homelessness organizes and trains the 1,700 or so volunteers.
Those who sign up will go out in small groups to help conduct a brief survey and do a headcount of people they encounter living outside. Volunteers can select designated areas of the region to participate.
The information from the Point in Time surveys is used to apply for federal and
state funding to help people experiencing homelessness and implement solutions on how to best serve them.
Results from the 2025 Point in Time Count showed 254 people experiencing homelessness (178 unsheltered, 76 sheltered) in the unincorporated communities. The unsheltered number dropped 11% from 2024 and is the lowest in 12 years.
Regionwide, the count showed 5,714 people unsheltered (down 6.5% from 2024) and 4,191 sheltered (down 7% from 2024).
The full report can be accessed through the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness.
The County has multiple programs in place to help connect people to the services they need, including finding a stable place to live. People can find more information online from the Office of Homeless Solutions or by calling 2-1-1.
Since 2017, the County has invested more than $334 million into affordable housing, using excess land, its Innovative Housing Trust Fund alongside other state, federal, and local funding sources administered by the County. Those funds have helped open doors to over 3,300 homes with 2,700 more on the way.
The County’s Housing Hub has more information about its efforts to meet the community’s needs.
Reprinted courtesy San Diego County Office of Communications.
