The new 2017 Point in Time Count, A Snapshot of Homelessness in Contra Costa County, is now on the County’s website. The census was made on the night of January 25, 2017, and indicated a total of 1,607 homeless persons in Contra Costa County. Of those 1,607, 696 were living in shelters, and 911 were living in encampments, cars, parks or abandoned buildings.

Veterans make up 9% of total Contra Costa homeless population.

Richmond’s homeless population has dropped dramatically in the last two years. The excerpt below is from Page 16 of the 2017 Point in Time Count and shows that the number of homeless sleeping outside dropped from 356 in 2015 to 160 in 2016 to 109 in 2017. That is a 70% reduction in just two years.

While the 2017 Point in Time Count results show a nominal one-year decrease in the overall Contra Costa homeless population, there were significant shifts in reported population characteristics with decreases among those with mental health issues or substance use addiction, victims of domestic violence, veterans, and chronically homeless. The county also saw regional shifts in location that unsheltered populations were sleeping outside, with a significant increase in central county and decrease in west county. Some of these trends may reflect a shift in the homeless population and/or the effectiveness of efforts adopted at the local level to address homelessness.