San Mateo County seeing steady progress in sheltering the homeless: Homeless count found 2,240 individuals experiencing homelessness in January

These numbers show a growing number of people experiencing homelessness since a low in 2017. The total number of individuals overall experiencing homelessness increased 5% from 2024. 

Human Services Agency Director Claire Cunningham said high rents, rising gas prices and slashed safety-net benefits have increased pressures on already vulnerable families to sustainably afford to live. 

However, the efforts by San Mateo County and its investment in programs and resources for those experiencing homelessness — and vulnerable residents on the brink — has made the impact less drastic, Cunningham said. 

“The drivers that tend to push people into homelessness are becoming more significant, but the county’s investment has been making a meaningful difference,” Cunningham said. 

There were 110 more individuals counted as staying in shelters than two years ago, or an 11% increase, according to the point-in-time snapshot conducted every two years. 

Since the county’s count in 2024, 1,772 people have moved from homelessness into permanent housing, according to a report by the HSA. Shelter capacity throughout the county has also increased by 41% since 2020, including the opening of four new shelters providing 449 beds.

“Without those investments that have been made by our county Board of Supervisors and executives, more people would have remained unsheltered or fallen into a deep crisis,” Cunningham said. “But the need remains significant.”  

Sheltered homeless individuals are those staying in emergency shelter, transitional housing or another temporary program. Unsheltered homeless individuals include those living in their car, a recreational vehicle, a tent or other makeshift shelter, on the street or anywhere not meant for human habitation. 

In the most recent count, 42% of the unsheltered individuals were sleeping in their car and 27% in an RV. 

The highest concentration of unsheltered homeless individuals were counted in Pacifica, Redwood City, Daly City, East Palo Alto and the unincorporated coastside, according to the HSA’s report. 

Those experiencing homelessness have a variety of unique needs that require a complex, multipronged approach to address. The most prevalent is simply the significantly high cost of living in San Mateo County, Cunningham said. The monthly rent for a two-bedroom unit in San Mateo County increased from $3,359 in 2024 to $3,604 in 2026. 

“While structural factors like high housing costs, income inequality and longstanding systematic barriers are key drivers of homelessness, there is no single solution to the problem,” Amy Davidson, the HSA’s Center on Homelessness director, said. “Determining the right support needed for each person requires understanding their unique circumstances, strengths and needs.” 

The county is fighting against a downward stream, doing what it can to prevent families from becoming homeless in the first place. It’s much easier, and less costly, to keep a family housed than it is to house someone who is homeless, Cunningham said. 

As numbers rise and fall, Cunningham said she remains proud of the investment the county has made to support residents, housed or not. 

“It’s a policy choice each time that we are awarded funding to do this work,” Cunningham said.

“I’m really proud of the investments and the outcomes. But times are getting tough, so I am concerned how it’s going to impact our community and the ripple effect that may have on people falling into homelessness.” 

The Human Services Agency full One Day County report will be published this fall.