![\"Mayor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PIT-COUNT-RS-_DSC0165.jpg\")
Mayor Kevin McCarty and his team go over their map of where they counted unhoused residents in the 2026 Point-in-Time Count. Russell Stiger Jr., OBSERVER<\/p>\nRoughly a thousand volunteers, outreach workers and local leaders fanned out across Sacramento on Monday and Tuesday as the region launched its 2026 Point-in-Time Count, an effort to document how many people are living unsheltered and understand what they need to move toward stable housing.<\/p>\n
The biannual count is a critical tool for shaping Sacramento\u2019s response to homelessness. By documenting who is living unsheltered, community leaders can identify gaps in services, allocate resources more effectively, and track trends over time. Volunteers fanned across Sacramento, starting from the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, and surveyed from 5-11 p.m.<\/p>\n
The 2024 count highlighted progress and persistent challenges for Sacramento\u2019s unhoused population. The number of people experiencing homelessness was estimated at 6,615, a 28.7% decrease from the 2022 count.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Black residents accounted for 33% of the unhoused population while white individuals made up 42%, and Hispanics at 15%. The rest of the unhoused population consists of smaller percentages of multiracial, Asian, and Pacific Islander individuals.<\/p>\n
Additionally, approximately 46.9% of adults reported having a serious mental illness, and 31.6% had a substance use disorder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis focuses on who\u2019s out there and how many people are out there because that determines how much resources we get from both the federal and state level,\u201d said Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty, who joined several City Council members and volunteers in the effort to count the unhoused population. \u201cWe\u2019re not trying to get a higher count or a lower count. Whatever it is, we live with the consequences. The results help us plan for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mayor Kevin McCarty and his team go over their map of where they counted unhoused residents in the 2026 Point-in-Time Count. Russell Stiger Jr., OBSERVER<\/p>\n
McCarty said participating in the count also helps officials better understand the realities unhoused residents face, from health care and substance use issues to family composition and next steps toward housing. \u201cWe allocate resources every year, and this helps us make sure we\u2019re using them in a way that has an effective outcome,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Councilmember Rick Jennings, who also volunteered in the 2024 and 2022 counts, said elected officials should participate directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m going to ask somebody to do something, I\u2019ve got to lead by example,\u201d Jennings said.<\/p>\n
The OBSERVER accompanied Jennings, his chief of staff and a team of volunteers as they went through the Pocket\/Greenhaven neighborhood. The group encountered no unhoused individuals in that area, highlighting how homelessness is unevenly distributed across the city and often concentrated in specific corridors and zones.<\/p>\n
Supervisor Patrick Kennedy acknowledged the process is imperfect but essential.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s legally required, and it helps us make data-driven decisions,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cIt\u2019s more than just how many people there are. It helps us understand who they are, what conditions they\u2019re living in, and where they\u2019re staying so we can actually help people get off the streets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joseph Smith, chair of the Sacramento Continuum of Care (COC), said the count is one of the most important components in the region\u2019s homeless response system.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I look back at the 2024 Point-in-Time Count, it showed an estimated 6,615 people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt showed a decrease from the prior year, including fewer people counted outdoors. That matters \u2014 it shows that investment, coordination and persistence can make a difference \u2014 but the count can never fully capture what people experience every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith also spoke about his personal experience with homelessness, noting how it informs his leadership of the COC. He described navigating systems, feeling invisible, and the importance of having the COC remain community-led and inclusive of people who have lived that reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat gives me hope is not a single number,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the people standing here tonight \u2014 volunteers, outreach workers, service providers, people with lived experience and elected officials \u2014 showing up shoulder to shoulder.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Volunteers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PIT-COUNT-RS-_DSC0162.jpg\")
Volunteers check in at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center to get their assignments for the 2026 unhoused Point-in-Time Count. Russell Stiger Jr., OBSERVER<\/p>\n
Smith described the COC as a community-led system of outreach workers, service providers, people with lived experience, advocates and local governments. He emphasized the partnership with Sacramento Steps Forward in preparing, coordinating and executing the count.<\/p>\n
Lisa Bates, CEO of Sacramento Steps Forward, thanked nearly 1,000 volunteers and outreach professionals who participated over both nights. The organization also guides volunteers in identifying where unhoused individuals might be located, using maps and instructions to highlight areas behind businesses, along creeks, and other common gathering spots. Certain areas, like the American River Parkway, are considered difficult or unsafe for volunteers and are handled by professional outreach staff. This approach ensures that city and county streets are canvassed thoroughly while maintaining safety for volunteers and those being counted. Bates emphasized that the count not only collects important data but also reinforces to people experiencing homelessness that they are seen, valued, and not alone.<\/p>\n
The count provides a snapshot of individuals and families living outdoors and the results are reported to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which guides funding and policy decisions.<\/p>\n
The count is required for communities that receive federal COC funding. In 2024, Sacramento County received $40.5 million from HUD, more than $35 million of which supported permanent housing programs serving more than 2,100 people across nearly 1,600 households.<\/p>\n
While leaders emphasized data and compassion, looming budget uncertainty threatens future housing and homelessness programs.<\/p>\n
Supervisor Rich Desmond said Sacramento County faces structural deficits and potential federal and state funding cuts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe county executive is going to ask departments to take a 2.5% cut, which ends up being more than that once you factor in raises and cost-of-living adjustments,\u201d Desmond said. \u201cWe\u2019re agonizing over how to backfill resources we\u2019re losing as a result of federal cuts, and counties aren\u2019t seeing a lot of relief from the state, which is also facing deficits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Desmond said it is still unclear how those financial pressures will affect housing and homelessness programs locally, noting that the governor\u2019s proposed budget is only an initial step in negotiations.<\/p>\n
Sacramento Steps Forward said the full report is expected to be released in late spring or early summer.<\/p>\n
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