California – Homelessness has long been a major concern for Californians, and in 2024, the problem reached record levels across the state . Out of the 771,500 individuals experiencing homelessness nationwide, more than 187,000—about 24%—were in California. What’s even more alarming is that nearly two-thirds of those experiencing homelessness in the state were unsheltered, contributing to nearly half of the country’s unsheltered population.
While the nation saw a significant rise in homelessness—an 18% increase from 2023 to 2024—California’s growth was much slower at just 3%. This was largely driven by a notable increase in sheltered homelessness across the country (up by 25%) compared to just a 9% rise in California. Unsheltered homelessness in the U.S. rose by 7%, while California saw a minimal increase of only 0.4%, suggesting the state is managing the issue more slowly than other regions.
Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) conducts a “point-in-time” (PIT) count to get a snapshot of homelessness. While this data has limitations, it provides the best national, state, and local estimates. The most recent PIT count revealed that the 10 Continuums of Care (CoCs) that cover California’s largest homeless populations accounted for more than 70% of the state’s total homelessness in 2024…