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HOMELESSNESS DATA--San Diego Region and El Cajon
Homelessness
It is difficult to quantitatively describe the extent of homelessness because data is difficult to collect and collection methods vary. Nationwide estimates of deaths among people experiencing homelessness range greatly, from 5,800 to 46,500 each year.[1] Life expectancy estimates for those who are experiencing homelessness also vary but are estimated to be substantially lower than the population at large.[2] It is believed that poor health can both lead to homelessness and be caused by homelessness. Unsheltered living and unstable housing can worsen health outcomes by limiting health care access and slowing recovery.[3] Suicidal ideation is many times more common among people experiencing homelessness, especially among men.[4],[5] In a recent poll of registered voters in California, homelessness ranked second out of 15 most important issues facing the state, with 29% of registered voters indicating it was one of the most important issues.[6]
Nationwide in 2023, the percentage of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness was disproportionately high among people who identify as male; White; Asian or Asian American; American Indian; Alaska Native, or Indigenous; and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.[7] Moreover, Black, African American or African and Hispanic/Latin(o)(a)(x) people were underrepresented in national and state reports of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness.[8]
In 2023, an estimated 181,399 people in California were counted as experiencing homelessness on a single night.[9] About four in 10 people counted as experiencing homelessness were Hispanic/Latin(o)(a)(x) of any race.
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) provides annual estimates of people experiencing homelessness each year using #WeAllCount Point-In-Time Counts,[10] a federally mandated program where volunteers survey those experiencing homelessness across the San Diego Region. This method is the most common way of measuring homelessness and includes counts of people experiencing homelessness by jurisdiction and whether the person was sheltered, such as in a homeless shelter. Although many communities across the country participate in the same annual homeless Point-In-Time Count,[11] methods are adapted to regional needs and circumstances, so it may be difficult to compare the results of this count to those in other regions.
The figure below presents the total number of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness by jurisdiction in 2023. The City of San Diego again showed the highest number of unsheltered and sheltered people experiencing homelessness. Chula Vista (Sweetwater) had the second largest number of unsheltered people. El Cajon had the second largest number of sheltered people. Future reports will aim to include demographic data. More information can be found on the RTFH website.[12
Dataset: Equity Report Data: Demographics
Data Source: Regional Task Force on Homeless, 2023 Point-in-Time Count.
References
Return to Home: Equity in San Diego County
Return to Theme Page: Housing
Updated January 9, 2026
It is difficult to quantitatively describe the extent of homelessness because data is difficult to collect and collection methods vary. Nationwide estimates of deaths among people experiencing homelessness range greatly, from 5,800 to 46,500 each year.[1] Life expectancy estimates for those who are experiencing homelessness also vary but are estimated to be substantially lower than the population at large.[2] It is believed that poor health can both lead to homelessness and be caused by homelessness. Unsheltered living and unstable housing can worsen health outcomes by limiting health care access and slowing recovery.[3] Suicidal ideation is many times more common among people experiencing homelessness, especially among men.[4],[5] In a recent poll of registered voters in California, homelessness ranked second out of 15 most important issues facing the state, with 29% of registered voters indicating it was one of the most important issues.[6]
Nationwide in 2023, the percentage of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness was disproportionately high among people who identify as male; White; Asian or Asian American; American Indian; Alaska Native, or Indigenous; and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.[7] Moreover, Black, African American or African and Hispanic/Latin(o)(a)(x) people were underrepresented in national and state reports of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness.[8]
In 2023, an estimated 181,399 people in California were counted as experiencing homelessness on a single night.[9] About four in 10 people counted as experiencing homelessness were Hispanic/Latin(o)(a)(x) of any race.
The Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) provides annual estimates of people experiencing homelessness each year using #WeAllCount Point-In-Time Counts,[10] a federally mandated program where volunteers survey those experiencing homelessness across the San Diego Region. This method is the most common way of measuring homelessness and includes counts of people experiencing homelessness by jurisdiction and whether the person was sheltered, such as in a homeless shelter. Although many communities across the country participate in the same annual homeless Point-In-Time Count,[11] methods are adapted to regional needs and circumstances, so it may be difficult to compare the results of this count to those in other regions.
The figure below presents the total number of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness by jurisdiction in 2023. The City of San Diego again showed the highest number of unsheltered and sheltered people experiencing homelessness. Chula Vista (Sweetwater) had the second largest number of unsheltered people. El Cajon had the second largest number of sheltered people. Future reports will aim to include demographic data. More information can be found on the RTFH website.[12
Dataset: Equity Report Data: Demographics
Data Source: Regional Task Force on Homeless, 2023 Point-in-Time Count.
- *Unincorporated regions
- The first edition of the Regional Equity Indicator Report used 2022 data for this indicator, establishing a baseline for future analysis. To maintain consistency and build upon that foundation, this update uses 2023 data. Future editions will incorporate the most recent data available at the time of publication.
References
- National Health Care for the Homeless Council. (2020). National Homeless Mortality Overview. https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Section-1-Toolkit.pdf
- Romaszko, J., Cymes, I., Dragańska, E., Kuchta, R., & Glińska-Lewczuk, K. (2017). Mortality among the homeless: Causes and meteorological relationships. PLoS ONE, 12(12), e0189938. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189938
- National Health Care for the Homeless Council. (2019). Homelessness & Health: What’s the Connection. Retrieved from https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/homelessness-and-health.pdf
- National Health Care for the Homeless Council. (2018, May). Suicide and homelessness: Data trends in suicide and mental health among homeless populations [Fact sheet]. https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/suicide-fact-sheet.pdf
- Coohey, C., Easton, S. D., Kong, J., & Bockenstedt, J. K. W. (2015). Sources of psychological pain and suicidal thoughts among homeless adults. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 45(3), 271–280. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12126
- DiCamillo, M. (2022). Release #2022: Voters offer a wide range of issues they’d like the state to address. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7sn293xs
- 2023 AHAR: Part 1 - PIT Estimates of Homelessness in the U.S. | HUD USER. (2023, December). https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahar/2023-ahar-part-1-pit-estimates-of-homelessness-in-the-us.html
- Ibid.
- 2023 AHAR: Part 1 - PIT Estimates of Homelessness in the U.S. | HUD USER. (2023, December). https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahar/2023-ahar-part-1-pit-estimates-of-homelessness-in-the-us.html
- We All Count. (n.d.) San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness. Retrieved December, 2024, from https://www.rtfhsd.org/about-coc/weallcount-pitc/
- 2023 AHAR: Part 1 - PIT Estimates of Homelessness in the U.S. | HUD USER. (2023, December). https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahar/2023-ahar-part-1-pit-estimates-of-homelessness-in-the-us.html
- County of San Diego 2023 Point-in-Time Data. (n.d.) San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness. Retrieved from https://www.rtfhsd.org/reports-data
Return to Home: Equity in San Diego County
Return to Theme Page: Housing
Updated January 9, 2026