Homelessness is down in Alameda County. Can it maintain that progress?

Alameda County reported its largest overall homelessness reduction to date over the last two years. A biennial Point In Time count showed a 13% drop in overall homelessness and an 18% drop in unsheltered homelessness since 2024. The share of unhoused people living outside reached the lowest level in more than a decade. County officials said preliminary results indicate effective strategies and the need for coordinated action. Berkeley experienced a slight increase, with 880 unhoused people counted, up from 844 two years earlier. Oakland saw the largest decrease, with a 20% drop. City leaders said more comprehensive county data is needed to determine causes of Berkeley’s increase.

"Alameda County saw its largest overall reduction in homelessness to date over the last two years, according to data released by county officials last week. The county's biennial Point In Time count found a 13% drop in overall homelessness and 18% drop in unsheltered homelessness since 2024, bringing the proportion of unhoused people outside to its lowest point in more than a decade."

"Jonathan Russell, the county's director of Housing and Homelessness Services, said Tuesday that the preliminary data from this year's tally is a good sign that we know what works, that we can end this entrenched suffering, and that we need to do it together. Berkeley was one of a handful of cities that saw slight upticks in homelessness, however."

"This year's count showed there were 880 unhoused people living in Berkeley, up from 844 two years ago. That 4% increase reversed the city's trend of declining homelessness the 2024 figure represented a 20% drop compared to the count in 2022, which was down from a peak of 1,057 people in 2019."

"Peter Radu, the leader of Berkeley's Homeless Response Team, told Berkeleyside in an email that the city is waiting to see more comprehensive data from the county survey before drawing any conclusions about what caused the increase. The biggest decrease was in Oakland, which saw a 20% drop in its unhoused population."

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