A new proposal would allow San Diego County employees to be paid while helping conduct an annual census of the region’s homeless population, potentially boosting participation in a crucial tally that affects a range of funding and policy decisions.
Around 1,600 people volunteered for the last point-in-time count, including 171 from the county.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors is set to vote on letting interested staffers do that work on the clock.
The next survey is scheduled for Jan. 25.
“We can always use more people,” said Jordan Beane, a representative for the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, which oversees the federally mandated count. “We’re fully supportive.”
January’s survey will likely find that overall numbers have risen.
For more than a year, the number of homeless people who found housing has been outpaced by those losing a place to stay for the first time. October was the 19th straight month where the crisis grew.
During one recent year-long period, more than 14,200 people became homeless while fewer than 8,900 were housed, according to task force data. That amounts to around 6 homeless people finding a roof for every 10 who ended up in a shelter, vehicle or on the street.
Those 12 months, which ran through September, saw worse numbers than the preceding year.
From October 2021, when the monthly data began, through September 2022, there were at least brief stretches when housing outpaced homelessness, and almost 8 people found a place for every 10 that didn’t.
Task force officials, like many researchers and advocates, attributed the trend to rising home prices.
When “rental costs go up, so do the numbers of people experiencing homelessness,” Tamera Kohler, the task force’s CEO, said in a statement.
She did find room for optimism.
Most people don’t need what’s known as permanent supportive housing, which can require a number of expensive services, Kohler said. The majority who left homelessness ended up renting.
One recent forecast from the University of Southern California estimated that San Diego County rents should rise at a slower pace than other parts of the state.
“If we get some stabilizing in rent prices and availability, it will help,” Kohler added, “but long-term success will only come with more homes for people of all income levels.”
The lack of major new housing projects and emergency vouchers, which were often used during the pandemic, also contributed to the numbers, officials said.
In the city of San Diego, council members are currently debating several changes to how housing developments are approved. While there appears to be broad agreement that more units are needed, leaders disagree on where affordable housing especially should go.
The city council is set to meet again on the issue this month.
The county proposal was introduced by Board Chair Nora Vargas and Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer. A fiscal analysis concluded that the existing budget could cover a boost in participation among the thousands of eligible employees.
The census takes place in the early hours of the morning. More people can cover more land, potentially allowing for a more accurate count.
The last tally found a record high of 10,200-plus homeless people countywide.
