Homelessness Down Across Region—Exit or Recovery?
- Susan Heavilin
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
According to the latest count (the 2026 We All Count Point in Time Count), homelessness is mostly on the decrease. Is it because the County is doing wonders with the $334 Million they have spent over the last nine years or are the homeless getting back on their feet in society? Maybe they're exiting California for areas with more reasonable living costs.
The 2026 breakdown of regions shows an overall drop of 10%.
In the southern region, Coronado made a 100% gain. They increased from 1 homeless person to two. Maybe the unhoused guy picked up a girlfriend.
"This year’s count found 150 people unsheltered in unincorporated areas — a 16% drop from 2025 and the lowest total in 13 years."—Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office
In the Sweetwater area, our rate is down 24.5 percent. Our sheltered count increased by 45 people whereas our unsheltered lost 115 individuals. Maybe some of them decided to move into shelters. Possibly they just bailed for greener pastures.
The most interesting count is for the Lemon Grove area in the Eastern Region. They've lost fifty percent of their numbers, dropping from 110 souls to a mere 55.
I would gather to say they hightailed it out of Dodge when the learned of the new human zoo being constructed over on Troy Street. Locked in and surrounded by traffic, this very public housing project most likely did not look enticing.
The 60 Sleeping Cabins project is just breaking ground and could easily be stopped. I doubt that will happen. Another $13 Million down the drain, not including the estimated $3 Million annually in operating costs. Your taxpayers' dollars at work.
The Regional Tax Force on Homelessness San Diego (RTFH) created a chart with an interesting breakdown, check it out below.
A recent article by the County of San Diego Communications Office credits the efforts of the government for the decrease.
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