Key facts about homelessness in San Francisco (2024)

FAQs

Key facts about homelessness in San Francisco? ›

Number of People Experiencing Homelessness during each PIT Count, 2005-2022. Under the 2022 PIT Count, 7,754 people were experiencing homelessness in San Francisco. Of those people, 3,357 were staying in shelter. There was a 3.5% decrease in the total homeless population from 2019 – 2022.

Some 20,000 individuals in San Francisco experienced homelessness at some point in 2022, according to the city's most recent “point in time” count. More than one-fifth of those surveyed said job loss was the primary reason they were unhoused, while another 14% blamed eviction and 12% blamed drugs or alcohol.

The plan provides that by spending $607 million in new funding over five years, the city can cut unsheltered homelessness by 50 percent by the end of 2028. Thereafter, it will take $217 million a year to maintain those gains.

Racial breakdown of San Francisco's homeless population

People without housing typically face an unusual number of health issues. According to DPH data, substance abuse, depression and alcoholism were the top three medical issues among the people who accessed homelessness services in 2019.

Strict zoning regulations are a primary cause behind the housing shortage in San Francisco. Historically, zoning regulations were implemented to restrict housing construction in wealthy neighborhoods, as well as prevent people of color from moving into white neighborhoods.

California's homeless crisis is associated with high housing costs, inadequate shelter spaces, deinstitutionalization, and changes in the criminal justice system.

Poverty. On a global scale, poverty is one of the most significant root causes of homelessness. Stagnant wages, unemployment, and high housing and healthcare costs all play into poverty. Being unable to afford essentials like housing, food, education, and more greatly increases a person's or family's risk.

The City's shelter system helps people experiencing homelessness by providing a temporary place to stay while seeking housing and accessing resources. Shelters offer temporary stays; housing is for long-term placements.

Who is in charge of homelessness in San Francisco? ›

Shireen McSpadden, Executive Director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.

POINT-IN-TIME HOMELESS COUNTS, 2005 - 2022

Under the 2022 PIT Count, 7,754 people were experiencing homelessness in San Francisco. Of those people, 3,357 were staying in shelter. There was a 3.5% decrease in the total homeless population from 2019 – 2022.

SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS

Six percent (6%) of respondents were 25 to 30 years old, 18% were 31 to 40 years old, 22% were 41 to 50 years old, 25% were 51 to 60 years old, and 10% were 61 or older.

In 2022, Los Angeles had the nation's largest homeless population. About 582,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness, according to 2022 Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data.

Losing income is the No. 1 reason Californians end up homeless – and the vast majority of them say a subsidy of as little as $300 a month could have kept them off the streets. That's according to a new study out of UC San Francisco that provides the most comprehensive look yet at California's homeless crisis.

2022 counts show that homeless populations declined in San Francisco and Orange County. Although CoC homeless populations vary greatly in size, trends over time are similar. The overall number of people experiencing homelessness has increased everywhere outside of the San Francisco and Orange County CoCs.

Homelessness in the Bay Area vs.

L.A. county has a higher rate of people living unsheltered — on the streets, in tents or vehicles — than the Bay Area. This year's data shows that 1 in every 200 Los Angeles County residents lives without shelter, whereas in the Bay Area that number is about 1 in every 250 residents.

Estimates of people experiencing homelessness

As for which areas have the most homelessness, Los Angeles topped the list. Five other California cities also had significant homeless populations.

What is the hardest thing about being homeless? ›

Many people experiencing homelessness often have serious mental illness, such as major depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and psychosis, and issues with drug and alcohol abuse, likely to be both the cause and consequence of their condition.

The definition of those who are experiencing homelessness includes: An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, such as those living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or places not meant for habitation, or.

California accounts for about a third of the nation's homeless people, and among this population, seniors are estimated to be the fastest-growing group.

Almost one third of people experience homelessness as a family. People who are Black or African American and those who are American Indian or Alaska Native have higher rates of homelessness.

What causes a person to become homeless? Individual factors, such as a lack of qualifications, relationship breakdown or substance abuse, can lead to homelessness as well as family background issues like disputes, sexual and physical abuse from parents or guardians or a previous experience of family homelessness.

The causes of homelessness

Drug and alcohol addiction (66% say it is a major cause of homelessness; 20% say it is a minor cause) Mental illness (60% say major cause; 26%, minor cause) Poverty (58% major cause; 25% minor cause) Lack of affordable housing (57% major cause; 24% minor cause)

Homelessness, then, is a supply-and-demand problem. Without enough housing, not everyone has a place to live. And the homes that do exist cost more as people compete for limited supply. So more people are priced out, and more end up homeless.

PAY for housing – help people pay for housing short term. STAY in housing – help access services so people can stay in housing. Homelessness Prevention programs employing a diversion strategy prevent homelessness for people seeking shelter by helping them identify immediate alternate housing arrangements.

The federal point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco mirrors the increase in people exiting homelessness shown in the scorecard data. The number of people experiencing homelessness decreased slightly (about 3.5%) in 2022 compared with 2019.

What is the California famous homeless street? ›

At the end of the 19th century, a number of residential hotels opened in the area as it became home to a transient population of seasonal laborers. By the 1930s, Skid Row was home to as many as 10,000 homeless people, alcoholics, and others on the margins of society.

The eastern extent, near Union Square, overlaps with the Theater District. Part of the western extent of the Tenderloin, Larkin and Hyde Streets between Turk and O'Farrell, was officially named "Little Saigon" by the City of San Francisco. The area has among the highest levels of homelessness and crime in the city.

San Francisco also has lots of property crime because there's a great divergence of wealth and people steal things. But San Francisco's violent crime rate is at a near historic low right now.

Housing & Support Services: Larkin Street is San Francisco's largest non-profit provider of housing for young people experiencing homelessness, providing more than 114,000 bed-nights of emergency and supportive housing each year.

S.F. spends $356 million on rooms for homeless people.

Supporters of Prop M have emphasized that, according to 2021 American Community Survey data, there are over 60,000 vacant homes in San Francisco.

In every state in America, black people are more likely to experience homelessness than their white counterparts, and the Bay Area is no exception. Despite representing 5% of San Francisco's population, 37% of homeless people in San Francisco are black.

In addition, venous stasis of the lower extremities (i.e., poor circulation because of varicose veins) caused by prolonged periods of sitting or sleeping with the legs down predisposes homeless people to dependent edema (swelling of the feet and legs), cellulitis, and skin ulcerations.

There are an infinite number of reasons why someone would need the money. They might need it for the basic needs like clothes, undergarments, toiletries, sanitary needs or to stay at a hostel or visit a friend or a relative living nearby. Others might need it to wash their clothes or cook their own food.

How many homeless youth are in San Francisco? ›

San Francisco has approximately 8,000 people experiencing homelessness on a given night. Of the 8,000, 1,200 are Transitional Age Youth ages 18 to 24. Sadly, youth homelessness is an issue throughout the country.

Overall, the average life expectancy of homeless people is 42 to 52 years old. If assistance isn't available until someone reaches 65 years old, then he or she may be dead by then.

Across both household and shelter types, nearly three-quarters of people experiencing homelessness were adults aged 25 or older (428,859 people), 18% were children under the age of 18 (106,364 children).

States with the highest rates of homelessness, calculated as the number of people experiencing homelessness per 1,000 residents in the state, were California, Vermont, Oregon and Hawaii. Washington, D.C., has a higher homelessness rate than any state, with over 6.5 people experiencing homelessness per 1,000 residents.

State With Most Homeless

California has the largest homeless population in the United States with 161,548 individuals experiencing homelessness. There are several reasons why California has such a high rate of homelessness.

Losing income is the No. 1 reason Californians end up homeless – and the vast majority of them say a subsidy of as little as $300 a month could have kept them off the streets.

California's homeless crisis is associated with high housing costs, inadequate shelter spaces, deinstitutionalization, and changes in the criminal justice system.

Homelessness in the Bay Area vs.

L.A. county has a higher rate of people living unsheltered — on the streets, in tents or vehicles — than the Bay Area. This year's data shows that 1 in every 200 Los Angeles County residents lives without shelter, whereas in the Bay Area that number is about 1 in every 250 residents.

In 2022, Los Angeles had the nation's largest homeless population. About 582,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness, according to 2022 Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data.

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — California has more people experiencing homelessness than any other state in the nation, according to a report from Department of Housing and Urban Development. The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report takes a detailed look at homelessness across the country.

What cities have the worst homelessness? ›

On any given night, 38,000 individuals in the Bay Area are homeless, an increase of 35 percent since 2019. Point-in-time (PIT) counts for Bay Area counties in 2022.

84% of all California voters believe homelessness is a very serious problem, new poll finds.

Local governments have since revised their homelessness plans, now targeting a 15 percent reduction in homelessness statewide by 2025. Additionally, the Governor today announced the state's largest mobilization of small homes to serve people experiencing homelessness, especially those living in encampments.

At its heart, California's homeless emergency stems from a long-standing shortage of affordable housing. But it is also a public health crisis: The encampments are rife with mental health and addiction disorders.

Most of the homeless live within the city limits of Santa Cruz which has a population of just 65,000 and a corresponding high concentration of encampments.