Fewer people were experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County on the January morning of the annual Point-in-Time Count than the previous count, but there were more families recorded in the survey than last year.
There were 1,952 people recorded in the count without permanent housing, down from 2,522 in 2024, and down from 2023’s number of 2,266. The overall number was the lowest it has been since at least 2017 and showed a drop of 22% from 2024’s count.
The county recorded fewer people in both sheltered and unsheltered living situations and saw a rise in the percentage of the homeless population that was sheltered, which is anyone who was staying in a supervised public or private homeless shelter on the night of the survey. The unsheltered number represents anyone not staying in a formal shelter, including those staying in vehicles, abandoned buildings, tents or other places not meant for permanent human habitation.
There was significant progress made in reducing the number of veterans experiencing homelessness, with 39% fewer recorded. In 2024, there were 162 veterans recorded in the count. This year, there were 99. Of those, about 24% were sheltered, compared to 15% last year.
But there were greater numbers of people experiencing chronic homelessness and more families recorded in the count than in 2024.
An imperfect snapshot
The survey is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for jurisdictions receiving federal funding and takes a visual count of cities’ and counties’ sheltered and unsheltered population during five hours each Jan. 31.
Because of the inherent challenges and limitations of counting people visually on a single day, it is considered a “snapshot” and acknowledged to be an incomplete representation of a jurisdiction’s population experiencing homelessness. But it is the most definitive measurement the federal and state governments use to track homelessness data.
Sonoma County’s 2025 count was led by the consulting firm Applied Survey Research.
It showed the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness on the day of the survey had reached 730, which was higher than at any point since at least 2017. Chronic homelessness is defined by HUD as anyone who has been homeless for more than a year or who has experienced homelessness four times in a three-year span.
The number of people experiencing chronic homelessness on the day of the survey rose two years in a row. It was 550 people in 2023 and 606 people in 2024. The 2025 number represented a 20% increase from 2024 and a 32% rise from 2023.
There were 78 families recorded in the count, a rise of about 37% from 2024’s count of 57.
Santa Rosa has about 63% of homeless people in the county, with 1,469 in 2024 dropping to 1,228 in 2025.
That’s the lowest total since the count began in 2007, according to city officials, who credited more affordable housing development, regional collaboration and cooperation among city staff, volunteers and nonprofits for the reduction.
“The improvement in this year’s count is encouraging to see,” said Megan Basinger, director of the Housing and Community Services Department with the city of Santa Rosa. “However, continued focus and investment is needed to address homelessness in our community, especially for families and chronically homelessness individuals, where we saw numbers go up and more residents struggling.”
Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park show gains
Santa Rosa has completed 15 affordable housing developments in the last 18 months, adding nearly 700 units to the city’s stock, according to a news release from the city.
Rohnert Park made significant progress in reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness on the day of the count, which was down from 2024 by about 60%. There were 78% fewer unsheltered residents in Rohnert Park compared to last year.
In 2024 there were 279 people without permanent housing on the day of the count, including 205 who were unsheltered. In 2025, the number was down to 111 total, with 46 of them unsheltered.
Rohnert Park Housing Manager Jenna Garcia said in an email that last year’s count had discrepancies that the city disagreed with, and that this year’s count was a more accurate picture of the one-day snapshot.
“Beyond improved accuracy, Rohnert Park has made real progress in reducing homelessness through its comprehensive strategy.” Jenna Garcia, Rohnert Park Housing Manager
But she said continued investment from the city had been key to making an impact.
“Beyond improved accuracy, Rohnert Park has made real progress in reducing homelessness through its comprehensive strategy,” she wrote.
“This includes Labath Landing, a 60-room interim housing site that opened in late 2022, and ongoing investments in outreach and supportive services. Since its opening, Labath Landing has provided shelter to 148 individuals, with 42 moving into permanent housing — representing over half of all program exits. These numbers reflect a strong trend toward stability among participants. The City also collaborates closely with the County to ensure housing solutions and outreach are coordinated on a regional level,” Garcia wrote.