Homelessness is up 16 percent since 2022 after pandemic programs end and housing prices rise.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Monterey County during the 2024 point-in-time count conducted in January increased by 16 percent over 2022 totals, the Coalition of Homeless Services Providers announced Thursday, Sept. 5.

The total count of those experiencing homelessness during the PIT count was 2,436, with 23 percent in shelters and 77 percent unsheltered.

Executive Director Katrina McKenzie said during a press briefing that reasons include the end of pandemic-era shelter programs and eviction moratoriums, as well as rising housing costs and the lack of affordable housing. 

The census process included a housing inventory count of all shelter beds in the county, followed by over 200 volunteers fanning throughout the region in the early hours of Jan. 31 to observe where unsheltered people may be staying. 

In 2022, the last time the biennial count required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was conducted, the number was 2,047. That was a 15 percent decrease from 2019. It was aided by emergency programs that provided transitional housing and other aid to give people safe places to live during Covid-19.

Those programs, like Project Roomkey, which temporarily housed people in hotels, all came to an abrupt end in April last year, McKenzie said. In addition, as HUD put a priority on rapid rehousing, a shift was made that meant less emergency beds to make way for more rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing beds.

The decrease in emergency shelter beds came an increase in people living in the elements, in tents, vehicles and other unsheltered situations.

"This is the recipe right here, more beds leads to less unsheltered," McKenzie said.

A follow-up survey of 374 people without homes showed that a higher number of people were experiencing chronic homelessness in 2024, 79 percent compared to 66 percent in 2022—although it's lower than in 2019, which was at 86 percent. Families in homelessness increased just slightly, from 347 to 366. 

One possible bright spot was that homelessness among veterans continues to decrease from 2019 levels, even after the end of pandemic programs. The count this year was 146 veterans, compared to 154 in 2022 and 172 in 2019. This is in large part due to an emphasis on veteran housing programs through aid from federal and state agencies. The Veterans Transition Center in Marina has made use of the funds to build new housing for vets and their families.

McKenzie noted other elements that impacted the increase in numbers, including the delay in completion of Homekey projects due to legal problems of building Shangri-La Construction, and the closure of the Pueblo Del Mar development in Marina for an overhaul, currently being transitioned into a new program called Hope Housing. 

Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo, who serves as chair of the Lead Me Home Leadership Council, said the numbers "weren't what we had hoped for," but was hopeful that new state initiatives and grant money would lead to better outcomes in the future.

McKenzie reported that CHSP is collaborating with other partners to go after a competitive $5 million national grant to build permanent supportive housing. The application is due in November.