More than half of Santa Clara County's unhoused population is homeless for the first time

"In June, the county released the preliminary results of the biennial count, which found a 8.2% increase in people experiencing homelessness from 2023. The number of homeless individuals, according to the June results, jumped from 9,903 to 10,711 - a record total. But a new, more detailed 60-page report exploring the findings has been released and shows more people are becoming homeless rather than leaving their dire situation behind."

"The federally mandated "point-in-time" census aims to count every homeless individual in the county over the course of two days in January. While it's used to quantify homelessness and determine funding, it represents only a snapshot in time and is not a full picture of homelessness throughout the year. For the 2025 census, the county changed some of its methodology in an effort to ensure a more accurate count. Kaminski said the county tried "to maximize the number of people that we are able to speak with during the count." County officials and volunteers ultimately surveyed 1,534 individuals."

"Even though we are helping more people annually move from homelessness into permanent housing every year, we're still seeing more people entering homelessness than exiting on an annual basis,"

"I think the point-in-time count reflects that reality that the lack of affordable housing and wage gaps are contributing to housing insecurity for thousands of our neighbors and pushing them into homelessness every day."

Homelessness in Santa Clara County increased by 8.2% between 2023 and 2025, rising from 9,903 to 10,711 people. The 2025 point-in-time count found 58% of surveyed individuals were homeless for the first time, with job loss, family issues, health problems and evictions or rent increases cited as primary causes. A new 60-page report indicates more people are entering homelessness annually than are exiting, even as more people are moved into permanent housing each year. The point-in-time census is a two-day, federally mandated snapshot used for funding and planning; 1,534 individuals were surveyed after methodology changes.

Read at The Mercury News