The number of deaths represent a more than 400% increase from 2013
At least 250 people died in Sacramento from homelessness in 2022, a record number likely to be surpassed once the count is finalized for 2023, the Sacramento Bee reported .
The numbers paint a stark picture of life for unhoused people in California’s capital city, where homeless deaths have increased more than 400% since 2013, according to numbers from the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homeless .
At least 227 people have died in 2023 in Sacramento County, the Bee reported. That number is expected to rise as the coroner continues to record the deaths.
The Bee compiled the causes of deaths of homeless people recorded in 2023, finding that 100 lost their lives to drugs, including 47 deaths related to fentanyl. Another 22 people died from heart issues.
In 2023, those who died ranged in age from four days old to 75 years old, the Bee said. The majority of those who died were white and 78% were male.
More than 650,000 people in the U.S. were homeless at some point in January 2023, with California, Florida, New York, and Washington having the largest homeless populations.