Alameda County reports 13% drop in homelessness following latest point-in-time count

On Tuesday, Alameda County revealed the results of its annual "point-in-time" homeless count, and officials were quick to celebrate the numbers. They say their efforts to get people into housing have resulted in fewer people on the streets.

You don't see as many tents in Oakland these days - or, at least, the volunteers who conducted the study didn't. The numbers have been released and they look good. Oakland, the city with more than half the unhoused people in the county, is down 20% from just two years ago. That's nearly a thousand fewer people living in encampments or vehicles.  

Local officials lined up on Tuesday to welcome the news, including Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee.

"Oakland is on the move," she announced at the press conference. "I want to say that, because we worked together, and I mean together. And today's proof is that we are doing the right thing."

Hayward Mayor Mark Salinas said his city experienced a 21% drop in homelessness.

"Today's data demonstrates that strong partnerships, focused strategies, and consistent local action are producing real results," he said. 

County supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas said she actually participates in the annual count, which is a federal mandate for all cities and counties in America.

"I believe housing is a human right, and I know many of you do too," she said. "And I have volunteered in our point-in-time counts since 2019."

While some local cities actually saw slight increases in their unhoused population, overall, Alameda County has seen a 13% decline. Jonathan Russell, county director of housing and homeless services, said it's clear that the money being spent is working, although it often has a delayed effect.

"We're seeing a direct connection to increased investments, particularly in the housing side," he said. "Our systemwide outcome shows more people getting housing than ever, and then, six months later, the point-in-time count shows a lower point-in-time count. So, there really is a direct correlation to investing in the right things, seeing those investments create more housing for more people, and seeing lower numbers, right?"

But while more people may be getting housing than a few years ago, are there really fewer people who are unhoused? Needa Bee doesn't think so. She heads up an Oakland street outreach group called The Village, and she believes the homeless are simply getting better at hiding.

"For the past year and a half, according to the city of Oakland's own numbers, sweeps or tows of encampments have increased by 91 percent," Bee said. "And if you've been paying attention to what's happening in Oakland, the encampments have disappeared.  It's rendered people invisible. And as a service provider - and this is happening across the board for all service providers - the sweeps have made it difficult to find our clients."

She said Oakland has looked at homelessness as a crime problem, and she said that was demonstrated in the texts from recently ousted City Administrator Jestin Johnson. In them, he revels in the Supreme Court's Grant's Pass decision which gave cities the power to demolish homeless encampments. After the ruling was announced, he texted, "I'm in the gym throwing crazy weight around excited about us being able to take the handcuffs off."

Bee said she doesn't believe that the number of unhoused people has really declined. 

"Not at all,' she said. "And it's not going to get better, because there's no solutions in place. The city has not created a solution for homelessness."

To be fair, no city has found an actual solution to homelessness yet. With a faltering job market and rising costs, it's hard to know how many are joining the ranks of the unhoused on any given day. Bee said, in contrast to Oakland, she actually gives Alameda County credit for addressing the problem as a public health crisis, rather than a crime wave. 

But no matter how hard they may try to create more housing, Russell admitted the gains could all be wiped out with one serious downturn in the economy.

"So, we are having, as I think one article called it this morning, 'fragile' progress," he said.

California may have more homeless individuals than any other state, but it's also having more success than most. Alex Visotzky, with the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said other states are taking note of California's homeless declines and may begin to copy its efforts to create more housing.