SACRAMENTO, Calif — California officials unveiled a new database system aimed at helping policymakers better understand and address the issue of homelessness.
Officials said this is the first time the information has been collected at the state level. The database, titled The Homeless Data Integration System, went live Wednesday and compiles data from 44 "regional homelessness service coordination and planning bodies— each referred to as a Continuum of Care —that provide a full range of services including homelessness prevention services, street outreach services, permanent housing interventions and a range of other strategies aligned with California’s Housing First objectives."
The data includes four years' worth of information and shows that nearly 250,000 people sought services in 2020. Of that number, 117,000 people are still awaiting help while nearly 92,000 people found housing.
More than 150,000 people experiencing homelessness live in California, more than any other state.
San José Mayor Sam Liccardo, Chair of the Big City Mayors Coalition (a coalition of mayors across California's 13 largest cities who advocate for resources and policies), said in a statement he applauds Gov. Newsom's data-driven approach to homelessness.
"His launch of the Homeless Data Integration System will provide the transparency critically needed to hold the state, counties, and cities accountable for getting our homeless neighbors off of the streets and into housing," Liccardo said in a statement.
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