Number of homeless people living in Santa Clara County spikes

(KRON) — Santa Clara County’s homeless population spiked by 8.2% within the past two years, according to a newly-released 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) count of unhoused residents.

The 2025 census counted 10,711 homeless people, marking a sharp rise from 9,903 counted in 2023.

The county’s PIT report states, “More people are entering homelessness than exiting homelessness in the region. Systemic factors such as the lack of affordable housing supply, wage gaps, and structural inequities all contribute to housing insecurity and homelessness in the Bay Area. These economic pressures have continued to increase in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic.”  

The county directed $446 million for funding “homelessness solutions” in the 2024-25 fiscal year. Solutions include shelters, permanent supportive housing, and housing for people in behavioral health and drug use disorder treatment.

“Without these investments far more individuals would be experiencing homelessness today,” the report states. More than 8,000 people were moved from homelessness to housing between 2023 and 2025, according to the PIT report.

County Executive James Williams said, “Effectively addressing poverty, inequality, and homelessness requires a systemic, comprehensive approach — one that necessitates deep collaboration and responsiveness at all levels of government. Our community must address the root cause of homelessness: a lack of affordable housing supply at all levels.”

According to the San Jose Mayor’s Office, roughly 200 homeless people die outdoors in Santa Clara County every year.

In 2025, mayor Matt Mahan proposed a plan to arrest and criminally charge people who repeatedly refuse help. Recent city data indicates that one in three homeless residents refuse offers for free interim housing when offered.

“Responsibility is a two-way street,” Mahan said in March. “We’re holding ourselves responsible for doubling our supply of safe, dignified places for people to go — it’s time we held our homeless neighbors responsible for coming indoors. I’m proposing that after three offers of shelter, we hold people accountable for turning their lives around.”

An increase in the county’s shelter capacity, as well as utilization of available shelter beds, was reflected in the 2025 PIT report. About 30 percent more people reside in shelters compared to two years ago.

In contrast to Santa Clara County, Sonoma County’s homeless population reached an all-time low since annual counts started nearly two decades ago.

Between 2024 and 2025, Sonoma County saw a 23 percent drop in the number of people experiencing homelessness. The 2025 count found that 1,123 homeless people were unsheltered, or living in a place not meant for human habitation. Another 829 homeless people had shelterz, such as living in transitional housing or an emergency shelter.