Monterey County recorded fewer people experiencing homelessness in four key categories compared to 2024 in its 2026 biannual survey known as the Point-in-Time Count but found that a greater percentage of people had lost housing for the first time, compared to those who had encountered repeated instances of homelessness.
The 2026 report showed that, compared to 2024, there was a 15% decline in the number of people experiencing homelessness and a 23% decline in the number of unsheltered people throughout the county, including incorporated cities.
The Point-in-Time Count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to be conducted at least every two years and was conducted by the firm Applied Survey Research, a social research company.
It involves a count by county staff and volunteers of anyone experiencing homelessness during a one-day survey in January and a subsequent survey of some sheltered and unsheltered people who agree to provide information.
The count is often considered by governments and advocates to be a rough snapshot that counties use as a benchmark to guide policy and funding decisions.
Roxanne Wilson, the county’s director of homeless services, presented highlights of the report during a virtual news briefing Wednesday and expressed worry that changes proposed to housing subsidies at the federal level could have an impact on families in Monterey County with mixed immigration status.
She said the county was making progress on long-term homelessness but noted the rise in people who responded to the one-day survey who had experienced homelessness for the first time during the previous year, a number that rose from 23% in 2024 to 60% of respondents in 2026.
“What this means to us is that, although we are doing a great job at serving individuals that are currently unsheltered, we really do need to increase resources to address the pipeline into homelessness,” Wilson said.
She said rising housing prices in the county and the increased cost of living were part of the explanation, noting that it takes about an $80,000 yearly salary to be able to afford to live in Monterey County.
“Until we address that issue of the lack of affordable housing, the lack of resources for people falling into homelessness, it is quite possible that those numbers will change and we will continue to see individuals coming into the system,” Wilson said.
She also said the federal government was de-prioritizing permanent housing in favor of transitional housing.
Wilson also predicted that proposed changes to federal Section 8 housing subsidies could leave families with mixed immigration status with less money if the changes were approved, which would prorate the amount for anyone who would no longer be eligible.
Declines among key populations
The county recorded fewer people in the categories of veterans, families, children and youth than in both 2024 and 2022, as well as those experiencing chronic homelessness.
But the overall number, which was down from 2024, was still higher than 2022, including the subcategory of those without shelter.
Individuals are considered unsheltered if they lack access to a place considered habitable for a human and are still counted as homeless if they are sheltered in a vehicle, hotel, RV, homeless shelter or other housing designed to be temporary.
There were 2,073 people experiencing homelessness in Monterey County on Jan. 29, the day of the count, including 1,459 who were unsheltered and 614 who were sheltered.
That was down from a total of 2,436 in 2024, but slightly more than the 2,047 recorded in the 2022 PIT Count.
Similarly, the percentage of the total who were sheltered, which was 30% in 2026, improved from the 23% of those sheltered in 2024. But it was below the 34% achieved in 2022.
The report also showed that about 90% of people experiencing homelessness were living within Monterey County when they first became without permanent housing, meaning they didn’t come to the county from elsewhere after becoming homeless.
The key categories many counties target resources toward saw marked improvements from 2024 in Monterey County, with a 39% decrease in chronic homelessness, a 43% reduction in veterans experiencing homelessness, a 30% decrease in families without housing and 37% fewer children and transitional-aged youth experiencing homelessness. That category includes those up to age 24.
Those numbers were also improvements from 2022.
About 67% of people who responded to the survey had experienced homelessness for over a year, while just 2% resolved their housing situation within 30 days. Most cited the cost of living or losing a job as the reason. A plurality — 30% — were between the ages of 25-39.
The full report is available at tinyurl.com/3djy28jx and will be presented to the county Board of Supervisors on Aug. 25.