The County of Orange (County) released the results of the Orange County 2024 Point In Time (PIT) Count on May 8, 2024.

A total of 7,322 persons experiencing homelessness were counted during the 2024 PIT Count.  Of the 7,322 individuals counted, 3,149 persons were sheltered, while 4,173 persons were unsheltered. In comparing 2024 to 2022, there was a 37 percent increase in the unsheltered population versus an increase of 18 percent in the sheltered population. However, when comparing 2019 to 2024, the increase was smaller at only five percent in the unsheltered population and nine percent in the sheltered population. In total, Orange County experienced a 28 percent increase from 2022 to 2024 and a seven percent increase from 2019 to 2024.

The 2024 PIT Count replicated the methodology utilized during the 2022 and 2019 PIT Count, providing the most accurate data comparison on the scope of homelessness in Orange County over the last five years. The 2024 PIT Count collected participant-level information, including sheltered and unsheltered household compositions, subpopulations, and disabling conditions information, such as substance abuse disorder, serious mental illness, and physical disability, amongst other demographic factors. The information collected through this process is self-reported and allows for a better understanding of the needs and challenges of people experiencing homelessness.

The County in partnership with the Orange County Continuum of Care (CoC) conducted the unsheltered count, with a record turnout of 1,251 volunteers over three days, from Tuesday, January 23, 2024, through Thursday, January 25, 2024, to ensure the 800 square mile Orange County jurisdiction was canvassed effectively. Data for the unsheltered count was collected utilizing Survey 123, a phone application that captures GIS locations and provides vital information that guides the way the County responds to homelessness in Orange County.

The sheltered count was conducted on the night of Monday, January 22, 2024. Over 100 Emergency Shelters and Transitional Housing Programs collected participant-level information for those staying the night in each program.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that all CoC jurisdictions across the nation complete a biennial unsheltered count and an annual sheltered count of all persons experiencing homelessness in the community on a single point in time during the last ten days of January.

To see the summary of the report, click here.

WHAT CHANGED BETWEEN 2022-2024

The County acknowledges that there is an increase between 2022 and 2024 PIT numbers. Pinpointing the exact cause of the increase is a challenge, given the number of variables that could influence the fluctuation of the numbers. The County does know, however, that certain resources existed in 2022 that did not exist during the 2024 PIT Count. Some of those include:

1. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA). Approximately $300M in rental assistance were awarded by the County and state to Orange County residents to prevent evictions due to Covid-19.
2. The Eviction Moratorium, pursuant to the COVID-19 pandemic, was still in effect; the moratorium ended on May 31, 2022.

While it may never be possible to identify the exact causes of the increase between 2022 and 2024, Orange County never stopped addressing homelessness. Between the 2022 and 2024 PIT Counts, Orange County:

1. Added 681 shelter beds, thereby increasing the total capacity of shelter beds to 3,920.
2. Built an additional 859 housing units between January 2022 and May 2024, of which 194 units can be attributed to the 4 additional Project Homekey sites completed between 2022 and 2024.