San Diego’s Homelessness Math Problem Narrows

The past few years, the number of San Diegans becoming homeless for the first time has eclipsed the number moving into homes. New data from the Regional Task Force on Homelessness shows the math problem central to the crisis narrowed significantly over the last year. 

From October 2024 through September, the Task Force reported that 13,622 people sought homeless services for the first time and 13,410 moved into housing, meaning the ranks of newly homeless people outpaced the latter by just 212 people. 

That’s the equivalent of 10 people accessing services for the first time for every 10 formerly homeless residents who were housed during this period.  

Those totals represent a 13 percent year-over-year drop in people falling into homelessness and a 17 percent uptick in people moving into homes. 

Task Force CEO Tamera Kohler cheered those improvements – and acknowledged the year-over-year shift initially surprised her. She attributed them in part to the region’s increased focus on serving veterans and lower-cost diversion strategies that help people come up with their own solutions to resolving their housing crisis. 

Diversion is a strategy that the region has ramped up to help people avoid or limit their reliance on an overtaxed homeless service system and more quickly move into housing. Clients often receive financial aid to cover a one-time expense such as an apartment security deposit or unpaid bills. Providers across San Diego have also used diversion to move people out of shelters who might otherwise languish there. 

“That has been really, really effective,” Kohler said. “And we’re gonna continue to put more funding into that.” 

Kohler said the region has also made strides housing homeless veterans. The Task Force reported Thursday that it’s housing 20 veterans for every 10 who fall into homelessness for the first time. 

Not only do many veterans receive dedicated housing vouchers, Kohler said, but more property management companies have been dedicating space in their complexes for formerly homeless veterans.   

Kohler acknowledged many San Diegans may not recognize regional progress on homelessness, especially if they regularly see people living in camps in their neighborhoods. She noted that state encampment resolution grants have helped communities throughout the county clear large, longstanding camps and move people into housing – and that similar work must continue.  

“I know that people need to see the improvement,” Kohler said. “And numbers alone aren’t the litmus test.”