Contra Costa County’s annual homeless census found 26 percent fewer people living without permanent housing in 2025 than just a year ago—easily the sharpest one-year decline on record.
On the night of the Jan. 30 Point-in-Time (PIT) count, volunteers identified 2,118 people experiencing homelessness, down from 2,843 in 2024—a drop of 725 people.
County health officials credit several factors for the turnaround:
- More places to sleep: Temporary or permanent housing beds rose 34 percent since 2023, thanks in part to state-funded Homekey conversions like El Portal Place in San Pablo.
- Targeted outreach: The county’s Health, Housing & Homeless Services (H3) team doubled down on encampment outreach and rapid-rehousing vouchers.
- Regional coordination: Cities, nonprofits and faith groups collaborated on winter shelter expansions and vehicle-to-housing programs.
Where the numbers fell fastest
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