San Bernardino County shows decrease in homelessness – Welcome to San Bernardino County

Two individuals, one in a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s uniform and another in a royal blue jacket, stand outside and engage with a homeless individual. — *Board of Supervisors Vice Chair and Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. (middle) joined hundreds of volunteers to count and engage with the homeless community during the 2025 Point-in-Time Count.*

The results of San Bernardino County’s 2025 Point-in-Time Count (PITC) shows a 14.2 percent decrease in unsheltered homelessness, which reflects a shift from previous years.

Data from the 2025 PITC identified a total of 2,620 unsheltered homeless individuals countywide. This figure reflects a decrease of 435 individuals, or 14.2 percent, compared to last year. There were 1,201 sheltered homeless and a total of 3,821 sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals, which indicates a 10.2 percent overall decrease in homelessness. In 2024, the overall homeless population grew by 1 percent, compared to 26 percent in 2023 and 6.6 percent in 2022.

“The data from this year is encouraging because it shows that our efforts are making a difference,” said Board of Supervisors Vice Chair and Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., who serves as chair of the Continuum of Care (CoC) Board, which is responsible for building a countywide network to support the homeless. “Although our work is far from over, I’m glad to see progress in reducing homelessness.”

The annual PITC provides a snapshot of the county’s homeless population, which enables officials to track progress toward reducing homelessness and ensure resources are being directed to areas that need it most. The annual count is crucial for securing grant funding to assist individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Each year, the PITC is coordinated by the San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership with support from the San Bernardino County Office of Homeless Services. This year’s count was completed on Jan. 23 and included participation from members of the Board of Supervisors, Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk Josie Gonzales, cities, towns, county employees, community groups, homeless service providers, stakeholders and individuals.

“I’m deeply grateful to the county departments, community partners and volunteers who came together to make the annual count a success,” said Baca, Jr. “Data from this year’s Point-In-Time Count will allow us to effectively address homelessness in our communities.”

County leaders believe the decrease in homelessness is due to ongoing outreach events and a boost in state and federal funding aimed at combatting homelessness, along with the county’s use of those funds to expand capacity.

“The county appreciates the funding that has been allocated to support local governments in providing support and services for people experiencing homelessness,” said Marcus Dillard, chief of homeless services. “These strategic investments have enabled the county to expand housing infrastructure and implement evidence-based programs that significantly strengthen our comprehensive response to this urgent community challenge.”

Overall, the Office of Homeless Services secured more than $22 million last year to provide permanent housing and other support for people experiencing homelessness.

“In San Bernardino County, we’ve been addressing this issue with urgency and compassion by leading and supporting our cities in collective ongoing outreach events at encampment locations,” said Dillard. “Through these events, we’ve been able to connect individuals to shelter, supportive services and permanent housing. We will continue to do all that we can to help resolve this issue.”

While this year’s data has indicated a decrease in homelessness, it still remains a pressing issue. County departments will continue to lead and support homeless outreach events and work collaboratively to create additional housing opportunities.

Additional County Update News – May 22, 2025