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<\/a><\/p>\nA new methodology introduced in 2026 will be more accurate, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said. Rather than doing a drive-by count, surveyors are meeting with people and asking if they are truly homeless, what caused their homelessness, and where they came from.<\/p>\n
Dyer said that the old method more than likely counted people as homeless who were not.<\/p>\n
\u201cFolks may have been inadvertently categorized as homeless,\u201d Dyer said. \u201cBut based on what we know today, more than likely they were.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, under the new method, responses are voluntary. Those who decline to answer are not counted. Preliminary 2026 results show a marked decrease in Fresno and Madera.<\/p>\n
Laura Moreno, executive director of the continuum, said while the new count has its limitations, it will be more accurate and give a better picture of the reasons for local homelessness.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a change in the methodology that was brought forward so that we could really look at individuals. So that we weren\u2019t just counting people in terms of numbers,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cBut that we know people\u2019s stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Fresno-County-Supervisor-Luis-Chavez-Fresno-Mayor-Jerry-Dyer-Fresno-County-Supervisor-Nathan-Magsig-.jpeg\")
Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez (left), Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer (center left), Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig (center right), and Fresno Madera Continuum of Care Chairwoman Laura Moreno introduce Fresno\u2019s 2025 and preliminary 2026 numbers at a news conference Tuesday, June 9, 2026 (GV Wire\/Edward Smith)
\nCredit Fresno for Helping Get People Off the Streets: Dildine<\/p>\n
More than 17 months after submitting 2025 numbers, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development certified results from the Fresno-Madera Point-in-Time Count.<\/p>\n
Those results<\/a> showed the number of people in shelters and on the street rising to 4,905 from 4,493 in 2023. Nearly 1,500 had been homeless for more than year and had a disability, qualifying them as \u201cchronically homeless.\u201d In addition, 1,446 reported a substance use disorder and 1,526 reported having a serious mental illness.<\/p>\n These findings come as the state reported a 2.8% overall decrease in the homeless population. Breaking the numbers down: there was a 6.8% decrease in unsheltered homeless residents and a 5.1% increase in sheltered persons.<\/p>\n State data in 2025 had its own problems.<\/p>\n Neither Sacramento nor San Francisco, two of the state\u2019s biggest metros, submitted Point-in-Time data for 2025.<\/p>\n The Los Angeles Point-in-Time Count came under scrutiny when the RAND Public Policy Institute published a report saying<\/a> that the metro has been undercounting the homeless population for several years due to a miscount of people living in neither tents nor cars.<\/p>\n The RAND Institute estimated 7,900 people could have been missed in the LA count.<\/p>\n Fresno Mission CEO Matthew Dildine said the city of Fresno\u2019s higher count may be the more accurate than many other metros in the area.<\/p>\n He added that the city should get credit for its efforts as the reasons for homelessness fall outside the powers of a local government.<\/p>\n \u201cThe city should be judged on how many people they\u2019ve helped cycle out of homelessness rather than how many more new people need help,\u201d Dildine said.<\/p>\n New Method Paints Clearer Picture of Homelessness: Moreno<\/p>\n The preliminary 2026 numbers show a 33.7% decrease from 2025. That breaks down to 1,619 people who agreed to take the survey saying they were unsheltered. Another 1,635 said they have shelters to live in.<\/p>\n \u201cThat to me is the value of this new survey methodology, that we\u2019re right away better understanding the needs of our community and being able to respond more quickly.\u201d \u2014 Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez<\/p>\n The city of San Francisco this year adopted a similar methodology. The change drew criticism from some homeless advocacy groups, reported the San Francisco Standard<\/a>.<\/p>\n When that city\u2019s preliminary numbers showed a 22% drop in unsheltered homelessness, accusations of political motivations arose. Those accusations said the city wanted to show its sweeps had been successful, the Standard reported.<\/p>\n Moreno told GV Wire that the decision to change methodology came locally. She said a subcommittee of the 62-member continuum developed the new approach as a way to better understand the reasons for homelessness. Next year, they will develop strategies to address people who don\u2019t want to talk, Moreno said.<\/p>\n Beyond the basic questions, they ask about personal stories, addictions, and mental health. They also ask about domestic violence and where they\u2019re from originally.<\/p>\n Supervisor Luis Chavez said during the news conference that surveyors talked with a couple living in an abandoned vacant lot who had a monthly income but didn\u2019t have enough for a deposit and first-month\u2019s rent. He said they were able to connect that couple with services to help them.<\/p>\n \u201cThat to me is the value of this new survey methodology, that we\u2019re right away better understanding the needs of our community and being able to respond more quickly,\u201d Chavez said.<\/p>\n Dyer said he\u2019s confident the 2027 count will show even greater decreases. In the upcoming budget, Dyer asked for a second Homeless Assistance Response Team, this time made up of a police officer unit that is able to quickly respond to homeless issues.<\/p>\n When Fresno regained its \u201cProHousing\u201d designation \u2014 awarded by the state for favorable housing policies \u2014 in May, it put the city in line for funds from a $800 million pot for housing and homeless services in next year\u2019s budget, Dyer said.<\/p>\n \u201cNot every jurisdiction has it, so they won\u2019t even qualify,\u201d Dyer said. \u201cSo I anticipate it\u2019s going to be more funding for the city of Fresno than we have received this last time.\u201d<\/p>\n The last round \u2014 which was up in the air until nearly the 11th hour \u2014 allocated $500 million to California cities.<\/p>\n Nonprofits Face New Hurdles in Getting People Off the Streets<\/p>\n Facing nonprofits, however, is a shifting economic cycle, wrote Dildine in an op-ed for GV Wire<\/a>. The service providers that cities and counties turn to for specific, boots-on-the-ground help have seen drastic cuts in grants and giving, Dildine said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PIT-COUNT-from-2014-2025.jpg\")
PIT COUNT from 2014 -2025 (Fresno Madera Continuum of Care)
\nWhat Will 2027 Bring for Homeless Populations?<\/p>\n