SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — A snapshot of Sacramento's homeless crisis, the 2024 Point-in-Time Count number released Wednesday showed a 29% drop in the overall homeless population in the county since 2022. However, the area's largest homeless service provider, Loaves & Fishes, said the numbers don't add up.
"I have a hard time believing things are getting better that dramatically this quickly," said Angela Hassell, Loaves & Fishes executive director.
The organization's data shows a 6.4% increase in guests served, and a 20.5% increase in meals served.
Hassell believes that sweeps of homeless encampments have resulted in mistrust and hiding.
"There's a lot of trust that is broken from folks who they don't know, coming up to them and asking them questions, and they're not going to be as willing to participate in something like that," Hassell said.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg stands by the numbers, in "the same way that (he) had to reluctantly agree with the count when it went up."
"We're not declaring victory, but this represents significant progress," Steinberg said, adding that he believes the findings affirm that the community is heading in the right direction on "the most heartbreaking and difficult issue of our time."
He believes the decrease in homelessness reflects increasing shelter capacity and efforts to move more people into housing.
"You can certainly make the logical case that more people are moving from the streets into more dignified and safer settings. Everyone should have a roof over their head," Steinberg said.
Other findings in the Point-in-Time survey include the following:
- 90% of respondents had been Sacramento County residents for more than six months
- 62% originate from the area or are lifelong residents
- 74% have had to move and find a new sleeping location within the last two months
- 68% had been experiencing homelessness for at least two years
For more on the findings, click HERE.
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