Homeless Population

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Citywide

San Franciscans think that homelessness is one of the biggest issues facing the City. To address the problem, we need to know how many people are homeless in San Francisco. This number helps us understand how many people need homeless services. It also helps tell us what types of services people need. 

Count of people experiencing homelessness 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that all communities who receive federal funding for homelessness services conduct a count of people experiencing homelessness on a single night once every two years. This is called the “Point-in-Time" (PIT) Count. San Francisco's latest PIT Count was held in January 2024. The number of people counted include:  

  • People sleeping outdoors, in cars, or in other places that are not meant for overnight use.  

  • People in shelters. 

The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing provides a detailed breakdown of the preliminary 2024 PIT Count data on their website. The full report will be released in summer 2024. In February, the department will administer a survey to learn more about the people experiencing homelessness, including demographic information.

Under the 2024 PIT Count, 8,323 people were experiencing homelessness in San Francisco. Of those people, 3,969 were staying in shelter. 

There was a 7.3% increasein the total homeless population from 2022– 2024. Of the total population of people experiencing homelessness, a larger proportion were unsheltered. 

HOW PERFORMANCE IS MEASURED

San Francisco conducted the street count on January 30, 2024, from 8PM to midnight. It covered all 47 square miles of San Francisco. The shelter count uses administrative data for people staying in shelter on the same evening. The shelter count includes all people staying in emergency shelters and transitional housing.  

Applied Survey Research is working with the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to create the final report with more detailed data breakdowns. 

This final report will include more detailed information about people experiencing homelessness. This will include more detail about the homeless population including demographics, veteran status, and chronic homelessness. 

When more detail is available, it will be included on this page.  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION