Homeless totals down in Sonoma County, but unsheltered families hit post-pandemic high

A snapshot of the number of people experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County shows a 23% decrease in the last year, but homeless families are at their highest numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a preliminary point-in-time count report released by the county’s Department of Health Services on Tuesday.

The point-in-time count is a required report for every jurisdiction receiving federal funding for housing and services. The count includes people who are unsheltered, meaning they live in areas like parks, cars and sidewalks, and sheltered, who live in emergency shelters and transitional housing.