"Every two years, scores of volunteers go out for a "point-in-time" homeless count in cities across the county. The number is a snapshot of homelessness - by focusing on one night, it avoids double-counting, but misses how homelessness may fluctuate over the year. It offers some of the most consistent data available on homelessness, and in the most recent count, the county shifted how they conduct it to get more accurate results and speak to as many unhoused residents as possible."
"Cupertino famously serves as a hub for the tech juggernaut Apple and ranks among the wealthiest cities in the county, with a median household income of $231,139 according to the 2023 data from the US Census. Even so, the city has a high cost of housing - over $3,600 for the median household - and has consistently been home to a small homeless population, which city leaders have attributed both to those who work and study in the city and those who come to the city from elsewhere."
"Since 2009, Cupertino's homelessness count has teetered back and forth, reaching a high of 159 in 2019. While the 2023 count saw a low of 48, the latest count saw that more than double to 101, marking the highest jump by percentage of any city in the county."
Cupertino experienced the largest percentage increase in counted homelessness in Santa Clara County, rising from 48 in 2023 to 101 in the latest count. The county conducts a biennial point-in-time count that captures a one-night snapshot to avoid double-counting but can miss seasonal or temporary fluctuations. County leaders adjusted methodologies in the most recent count to improve outreach and accuracy. Officials cite systemic pressures — high housing costs, limited affordable supply, and wage gaps — as factors squeezing residents. Cupertino remains wealthy by median income yet faces steep housing costs and a historically fluctuating unhoused population since 2009.
Read at The Mercury News
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