San Luis Obispo County's 2024 point-in-time count survey took a poll of everyone experiencing homelessness on one single night in January this year. The data, on its face, indicates a drop in the homeless population, but the county's report noted challenges and limitations.
The report shows 1,175 individuals experiencing homelessness. That's a 19% drop from the last point-in-time count in 2022.
Eight hundred of those were unsheltered. Three hundred and seventy-five were sheltered.
“They asked folks where they slept on the night of [January 22] and other additional demographic data," Kari Howell, who is San Luis Obispo County's Homeless Services Division manager, said.
The report emphasized significant challenges, though, including the adoption of a new methodology, covering a large geographic area like San Luis Obispo County, and the impact of homeless encampment sweeps.
Editor's note: Read the full report here.
In previous counts, county officials used a sample survey methodology where only a subset of the population is sampled and then extrapolated to provide a comprehensive "snapshot," as the county's report says.
This year, the county conducted a complete census, where each homeless individual is counted and recorded one by one. The county's report says the full census count was adopted to "maximize accuracy" and is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's preferred method.
'Valuable year-round information'
The point-in-time count took place on January 22 and over that following week, volunteers went out into the community to speak with those experiencing homelessness to learn how their needs could better be addressed.
That time of year is the most likely to help the county pinpoint those who are without a place to stay that night.
“In those last 10 days of January where areas are potentially experiencing inclement weather, folks experiencing homelessness go to the sheltering options, and the point-in-time count is supposed to capture who is outside our system of care and how can we reach them,” Kari Howell, program manager Homeless Service Division, said.
Staff from the 5Cities Homeless Coalition were among those who talked to people and gathered information.
“We’ll be able to use that to be able to help drive what our services are and identify what those gaps and barriers are for those experiencing homelessness,” Devon McQuade associate director for Five Cities Homeless Coalition, said.
They hope to be able to use that information to improve services already in place and create new resources.
“We're also getting a lot of valuable year-round information through that system," McQuade said. "One of the areas that is consistently a challenge and was reported close to 90% was affordable housing."
The volunteers were able to survey 64% of people who are experiencing homelessness in the county.
“What we're doing with this information is sharing it with service providers and city jurisdictions and also being mindful that no one initiative alone is going to solve homelessness and that doesn't discount initiatives but it's an indicator of the complexity of homelessness itself,” Howell said.
Point-in-time counts first started in SLO County in 2013 and are done every two years.
