{"id":153991,"date":"2026-01-28T23:01:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T23:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/153991\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T23:01:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T23:01:07","slug":"fresno-and-madera-homelessness-rises-again-in-annual-count","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/153991\/","title":{"rendered":"Fresno and Madera Homelessness Rises Again in Annual Count"},"content":{"rendered":"

As hundreds of trained volunteers spread across Fresno and Madera counties this week, officials conducting the area\u2019s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count reported a familiar trend: Homelessness is up again.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThe shelters are considered emergency shelters, where people are still without permanent housing, so they\u2019re counted as well.\u201d \u2014 Laura Reynolds, HUD program manager <\/p>\n

Preliminary estimates from the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care indicate homelessness has increased from last year, continuing a rise that has persisted for five years. Final numbers will not be released until the data is reviewed and approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.<\/p>\n

However, organizers say the preliminary results point to a shifting local landscape of homelessness. Compounding the challenge of reducing homelessness are government funding cuts that could reduce the beds in local emergency shelters, GV Wire\u2019s Edward Smith reported in November<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The two-day PIT count, which began Tuesday evening and continued until Wednesday afternoon, mobilized roughly 300 volunteers to survey people experiencing homelessness throughout Fresno, Clovis, Madera, and nearby communities. The count is conducted annually by the FMCoC rather than every two years as HUD mandates. The goal is to accurately track trends, determine funding needs, and plan local services.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my 10th PIT,\u201d said HUD Program Manager Laura Reynolds. \u201cWhen I first started, we didn\u2019t have shelters. So there were a lot more people living directly on the street.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fewer People on the Streets, More in Shelters<\/p>\n

According to Reynolds, the expansion of emergency shelters in Fresno has changed how homelessness appears on the surface. While fewer people are sleeping outdoors, overall homelessness has not declined. That\u2019s because many individuals are living in shelters, which are still considered temporary housing and are counted as \u201chomeless\u201d in the census.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe shelters are considered emergency shelters, where people are still without permanent housing, so they\u2019re counted as well,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cThere are less people on the street, but we\u2019re also seeing a large amount of people who are just coming into needing homelessness prevention.\u201d<\/p>\n

That shift, she said, reflects broader economic pressures pushing more residents to the brink of losing their homes.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, it\u2019s the economy,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cPeople are unable to pay their rent. They may have been evicted. Sometimes it\u2019s interpersonal issues \u2014 divorce, domestic violence. Sometimes it\u2019s unemployment, mental health, or substance use.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"VolunteerA volunteer provides supplies and asks survey questions during the Point-in-Time count, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Facebook\/Fresno Madera Continuum of Care)
\nVolunteer Counters Seek More Info<\/p>\n

Volunteers conducting the PIT count asked participants approximately 20 confidential questions, covering topics such as veteran status, disabilities, demographics and reasons for homelessness. Unlike earlier versions of the count, which relied largely on headcounts, the expanded survey aims to provide a more detailed picture of who is experiencing homelessness and why.<\/p>\n

The data collected is sent to the Fresno Housing Authority and reported to HUD, where it is used to determine federal funding levels and inform the congressionally mandated Annual Homeless Assessment Report. Local officials also rely on the information to measure progress toward ending chronic and veteran homelessness and to identify gaps in services.<\/p>\n

Reynolds emphasized that many people experiencing homelessness are far closer to housed life than stereotypes suggest.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of assumptions made,\u201d she said. \u201cBut if you look at it honestly, a lot of us live paycheck to paycheck. Homelessness is not too far off the shoulder for some of us that are working hard to maintain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Food, Toiletries Distributed<\/p>\n

During the count, volunteers also distributed food and hygiene supplies to participants, with items varying each year based on current needs. All volunteers were required to complete training beforehand to ensure interviews were conducted safely, respectfully, and without duplicating respondents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are individuals. Somebody\u2019s parent, mom, sister, brother, child. Nobody woke up as a kid and said, \u2018What\u2019s your dream? Oh, I want to be homeless someday.\u2019 \u201d \u2014 Laura Reynolds, HUD program manager<\/p>\n

Despite Fresno County having more resources than many other regions, Reynolds said demand continues to outpace availability.<\/p>\n

Reynolds pointed to the need for long-term case management, follow-up services, and community partnerships that help people remain stably housed.<\/p>\n

\u201cChecking on people six months later, a year later, helping them maintain employment,\u201d she said. \u201cEmployers being willing to be second-chance employers, landlords being willing to do second-chance renting \u2014 those things make a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Reynolds, who has worked in homelessness services for a decade, the PIT count is as much about changing public perception as it is about collecting data.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are individuals,\u201d she said. \u201cSomebody\u2019s parent, mom, sister, brother, child. Nobody woke up as a kid and said, \u2018What\u2019s your dream? Oh, I want to be homeless someday.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As hundreds of trained volunteers spread across Fresno and Madera counties this week, officials conducting the area\u2019s annual…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":153992,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[112,114,113],"class_list":{"0":"post-153991","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fresno","8":"tag-fresno","9":"tag-fresno-headlines","10":"tag-fresno-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153991\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}