The homeless totals in San Bernardino County inched upwards in 2023, according to the annual point-in-time count of the dispossessed conducted in all 24 of the county’s municipalities and 57 of its unincorporated communities on January 24.
The 4,237 adults and children who were counted as homeless during the 2024 24-hour long survey were 42 more than the 4,194 people counted in January 2023, which represents an increase of 1.02527 percent.
There were 3,055 unsheltered homeless in the county in 2024, compared to 2,976 unsheltered countywide in 2024, an increase of 79 or 2.65 percent. Simultaneously, the number of sheltered homeless dropped from 1,219 in 2023 to 1,200 this year, a decrease of 1.583 percent.
In Adelanto there were 29 total homeless counted, 16 of whom were entirely unsheltered with 13 being temporarily put up in traditional housing units. The 29 are six fewer than the 35 total homeless in Adelanto last year.
In Apple Valley there were 31 total homeless counted, 26 of whom were entirely unsheltered, with five being temporarily put up in traditional housing units. The 31 are four fewer than the 35 total homeless in Apple Valley last year.
In Barstow there were 113 total homeless counted, 87 of whom were entirely unsheltered, with 20 being temporarily put up in traditional housing units and another 6 in homeless shelters. The 113 are 41 fewer than the 154 total homeless in Barstow last year.
In the unincorporated county area of Big Bear City/Sugarloaf there were 18 homeless, all of whom were totally unsheltered. The 18 were 16 more than the two total homeless in Big Bear City/Sugarloaf last year.
In the municipality of Big Bear Lake there were 32 total homeless counted, 21 of whom were entirely unsheltered with 11 being temporarily put up in shelters. The 32 are four fewer than the 36 total homeless in Big Bear Lake last year.
In the unincorporated county areas of Bloomington/Crestmore there were 16 total homeless counted, all 16 of whom were entirely unsheltered. The 16 are nine fewer than the 25 total homeless in Bloomington/Crestmore last year.
In the unincorporated county areas of Blue Jay and Cajon Canyon there were no homeless counted, three fewer than the three counted in Blue Jay and four fewer than the four counted in Cajon Canyon last year.
In the unincorporated county area of Cedarpines Park there was one homeless individual who was completely unsheltered, which represented no change from the single homeless person living in Cedarpines Park last year.
In Chino there were 43 total homeless counted, all of whom were unsheltered. The 43 are 15 more than the 28 counted in Chino last year.
In Chino Hills there were seven total homeless counted, all of whom were unsheltered. The seven were three more than the four counted in Chino Hills last year.
In Colton there were 348 total homeless counted, 118 of whom were being put up in homeless shelters and 230 who were entirely unsheltered. The 348 are 136 more than the 212 total homeless in Colton last year.
In the unincorporated county area of Crestline there were 20 total homeless counted, 11 of whom were entirely unsheltered with nine temporarily living in traditional housing units. The 20 were eight more than the 12 total homeless in Crestline last year.
In the unincorporated county area of Devore there were three total homeless counted, all of whom were entirely unsheltered. The three were two fewer than the five total homeless in Devore last year.
In Fontana there were 301 total homeless counted, 260 of whom were entirely unsheltered with 28 being temporarily put up in traditional housing units and another 13 in shelters. The 301 are 61 more than the 240 total homeless in Fontana last year.
In Grand Terrace there were four total homeless counted, all of whom were entirely unsheltered. The four were two fewer than the six total homeless in Grand Terrace last year.
In Hesperia there were 67 total homeless counted, all of whom were unsheltered. The 67 are three more than the 64 total homeless in Hesperia last year.
In Highland there were 125 total homeless counted, 100 of whom were entirely unsheltered, with 25 being temporarily put up in a homeless shelter. The 125 are 39 more than the 86 counted last year.
In Joshua Tree there were 29 total homeless counted, all of whom were unsheltered. The 29 are 13 fewer than the 42 total homeless in Joshua Tree last year.
In Lake Arrowhead there were five total homeless counted, one of whom was living in a shelter. The five homeless counted is one greater than the four total homeless in Lake Arrowhead last year.
In the unincorporated community of Landers there were no homeless counted, two fewer than the two counted last year.
In the unincorporated community of Lenwood there was one homeless individual counted, who was unsheltered. Last year there were no homeless in Lenwood.
In Loma Linda there were fourteen total homeless counted, none of whom were sheltered. The fourteen homeless counted were three fewer than the 17 counted last year.
In the unincorporated community of Lucerne Valley there were two homeless counted, both unsheltered. Last year there were no homeless in Lucerne Valley.
In the unincorporated community of Lytle Creek there were no homeless counted, reflecting no change from the zero homeless found there last year.
In the unincorporated communities of Mentone/Crafton there were six total homeless counted, three of whom were living in a shelter. The six homeless counted were two fewer than the eight encountered there last year.
In Montclair there were 74 total homeless counted, none of whom were sheltered in any way. The 74 homeless counted were three more than the 71 homeless in Montclair last year.
In the unincorporated community of Morongo Valley there was one homeless person, who was unsheltered, one more than the zero count in 2023.
In the unincorporated community of Muscoy there were ten total homeless counted, none of whom were sheltered. The ten homeless counted this year is three fewer than the 13 counted in Muscoy last year.
In Needles there were 15 total homeless counted, none of whom were sheltered, an increase of nine over the six homeless counted in Needles last year.
In Ontario there were 197 total homeless counted, 163 of whom were on the streets or alleyways or parks unsheltered, with nine living in traditional housing units and 25 in shelters. The 197 homeless counted were ten greater than the 187 total homeless counted last year.
In the unincorporated communities of Phelan and Piñon Hills there were seven total homeless counted, none of whom were sheltered. The seven counted were three greater than the four counted last year.
In Rancho Cucamonga there were 83 total homeless counted, none of whom were sheltered. The 83 counted are 13 more than the 70 counted in 2023.
In Redlands there were 213 total homeless counted, 31 of whom were temporarily residing in a shelter and 39 of whom were living in traditional housing units while 144 were unsheltered. The 213 homeless counted is 111 fewer than the 324 counted in 2023.
In Rialto there were 73 total homeless counted, none of whom were sheltered. The 73 homeless counted were three more than the 70 counted last year.
In the unincorporated community of Running Springs there were five total homeless counted, none sheltered. The five homeless counted were two more than the three total homeless in 2023.
In the county seat, the City of San Bernardino, there were 1,417 total homeless counted, the most in any single jurisdiction within the county. Of those, 337 were housed in shelters and 103 were living in traditional housing units, leaving 977 on the streets, in parks, alleyways, in the Santa Ana or Lytle Creek riverbeds or around them, under railroad trestles or freeway overpasses, or hidden in chaparral or landscaping along the freeways. The 1,417 is 85 fewer than the 1,502 counted in San Bernardino last year.
In the unincorporated community of Skyforest there were no homeless counted, one less than the single homeless individual living there last year.
In Twentynine Palms there were 107 total homeless counted, seven of whom were living in a shelter and 100 unsheltered. The 107 were 32 more than the 75 encountered in Twentynine Palms last year.
In the unincorporated community of Twin Peaks there were no homeless counted, representing no change from last year.
In Upland there were 96 total homeless counted, with 59 residing in traditional housing units and 37 unsheltered. That was 16 more than the 80 homeless in Upland in 2023.
In the unincorporated community of Valley of Enchantment, there were three homeless counted, none of whom were sheltered, which was three fewer than the six there in 2023.
In Victorville, the city held 611 homeless during the night of January 24 through the early morning of January 25. Of those 232 were in shelters, 53 had traditional roofs over their heads and 611 were on the streets. The 611 that were unsheltered were four more than the 607 unsheltered in 2023.
In the unincorporated community of West Cajon Valley there were no homeless, as was the case last year.
In the unincorporated community of Wonder Valley there were four total homeless, all of whom were accommodated at a shelter. There were no homeless in Wonder Valley last year.
In the unincorporated community of Yermo there were no homeless counted, as was the circumstance last year.
In Yucaipa there were 24 total homeless counted, with 11 staying in a shelter and 13 out on their own. The 24 homeless counted was six fewer than the 30 total homeless in Yucaipa last year.
In Yucca Valley there were 97 total homeless counted, with 11 in shelters and ten in traditional housing settings. The 97 were 13 fewer than the 110 homeless counted in Yucca Valley in 2023.
Three other homeless were living in the county at no designated spot, a decrease of three from the six in the same category last year.
The homeless count and subpopulation survey was a joint effort of the San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership, the San Bernardino County Office of Homeless Services, and the Institute for Urban Initiatives. San Bernardino County had approximately 550 community volunteers serve as counters.
The number of adults and children counted as unsheltered increased by 2.65 percent when the 2024 unsheltered count of 3,055 is compared to the 2023 unsheltered count of 2,976. The number of adults and children counted as sheltered decreased by 1.583 percent when the 2024 sheltered count of 1,200 is compared to the 2023 sheltered count of 1,219. Approximately three-fourths (75.5 percent) or 3,200 of the 4,237 homeless adults and children were counted within seven cities that include Barstow, Colton, Fontana, Ontario, Redlands, San Bernardino, and Victorville. Those seven cities accounted for 2,187 or nearly three-fourths (71.6 percent) of the total unsheltered population of 3,055 and 1,013 or 85.7 percent of the 1,182 persons counted in shelters and transitional housing. More than one-third (35.9 percent) of unsheltered adults and children counted as homeless became homeless for the first time during the 12 months prior to the homeless count. Nearly three in ten (29.6 percent) of unsheltered adults stated “City of San Bernardino” when asked in what city they first became homeless. More than half (55.6 percent) of unsheltered adults were chronically homeless, which is defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as being homeless for one year or more and having a disabling condition such as mental illness, chronic health condition, and a physical disability. Over one-fifth (21.4 percent) of unsheltered adults answered “yes” when asked if they had been incarcerated during the past 12 months. Two-thirds (66 percent) of unsheltered adults answered “no income” when asked to state their monthly income. More than three-fourths (81 percent) of unsheltered adults answered either “no income” (66 percent) or “less than $500” (15 percent) when asked to state their monthly income.