2022 point-in-time count data shows increase in Sacramento County homeless population
SACRAMENTO — Data recently released from the last point-in-time count shows there are just over 9,200 homeless people in Sacramento County.
The data released this December was from a point-in-time count that happened in January 2023. The counts happen every January.
The count shows that the homeless population in the county modestly increased – from 2021 to 2022 – from 9,278 to 9,281 year over year as spending increased on a variety of initiatives. But what is the money going toward?
"[The county has] increased the number of emergency spaces – shelter beds or safe parking places or tiny homes or whatever – but it's been incredibly incremental," said Bob Erlenbusch, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness.
Emily Halcon, the director of the Department of Homeless Services and Housing, said "the board is committed to working from both ends of this – building shelters to provide immediate relief as well as working more closely with our community for prevention and rehousing strategies."
The money primarily is going to housing, be it temporary or permanent, but why does it come slowly?
"Not only are you funding the building of the units, sticks and bricks, you are typically underwriting for at least 30-50 years subsidizing the rent that the tenant can't pay," Halcon said.
With economic headwinds on the horizon, the county is hopeful that the priorities of the state government will remain fixed on the topic of homelessness.
"We're hopeful that's realized in the governor's budget," Halcon said. "Your budget should reflect your priorities."
With California facing a massive budget deficit, some homeless advocates say it could have an adverse effect on the efforts to fix the crisis.
"Given the huge deficit that the state is in, communities including Sacramento are not going to be able to turn to the state with either affordable housing or homelessness," Erlenbusch said.