To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nolan Sullivan, 707-565-4774; Hunter Scott, 707-687-6832
Vote Requirement: Informational Only
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Results of the 2026 Point-in-Time Count of Persons Experiencing Homelessness
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Receive a report of the 2026 Point-In-Time of Persons Experiencing Homelessness in Sonoma County
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Executive Summary:
The Department of Health Services (hereinafter “DHS” or “the Department”), acting as Lead Agency for Sonoma County's Homeless Coalition (“Coalition”), acting as the local Continuum of Care (CoC), conducted the 2026 Point-In-Time Homelessness Count. The Point in Time (PIT) Count is a count of unsheltered and sheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The PIT Count is a federal U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirement of CoCs. The PIT Count tabulates the number of individuals sheltered in emergency shelters, transitional housing, and safe havens as well as the number of unsheltered individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, such as living on the streets, in cars, encampments, or other places not meant for human habitation. The PIT Count is required to maintain the county's roughly $4.6 million in annual HUD CoC funding and informs state funding decisions.
In 2026, 1,951 individuals were counted. Of these, 1,098 individuals were unsheltered (a 2% decrease from 2025) and 853 were sheltered (a 3% increase from 2025).
Discussion:
Sonoma County 2026 Point-in-Time Count
The HUD requires local CoCs to conduct an annual count of people experiencing homelessness. Each count is planned, coordinated, and carried out locally.
The Sonoma County Homeless Coalition (Coalition) is a collaborative effort representing the county's homeless services system of care. The Coalition is governed by a seventeen-member Board consisting of local elected officials, nonprofit representatives, subject matter experts, and individuals with lived homeless experience. DHS serves as Lead Agency, providing staff support and coordination for the Coalition.
The PIT Count tallies unsheltered and sheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. In 2026, the count took place on January 30, coordinated by Applied Survey Research (DHS's contracted homeless count consultant) and DHS staff. On that night, the count captured the number of people in emergency shelters and transitional housing, as well as the number of people unsheltered.
2026 PIT Count Results
In 2026, 1,951 individuals were counted, a decrease of 1 person from the 1,952 counted in 2025. Of these, 1,098 individuals were unsheltered (a 2% decrease from 2025) and 853 were sheltered (a 3% increase from 2025).
HUD requires a local PIT Count from any CoC seeking access to its CoC funding; in 2025, that funding totaled approximately $4.6 million for Sonoma County. Some state agencies also use PIT Count data to determine funding allocations, and when combined with data from the Department's Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the count helps inform the county's homeless housing needs.
See Attachment 2 for previous PIT Count numbers spanning the last three years.
Survey
Following each PIT Count, surveys are conducted with individuals and families experiencing homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered, to gather insight into the demographics and experiences of single adults, families, and transition-age youth. In 2026, 276 surveys were conducted, representing a confidence interval of +/- 5% at a 95% confidence level when generalized to the estimated homeless population. Surveys were conducted peer-to-peer in the two weeks following the PIT Count and captured key information on homeless subpopulations.
These subpopulations include individuals experiencing chronic homelessness (generally defined as at least 12 months of continuous homelessness, or experiencing homelessness on four or more separate occasions over the past three years, and combined with a disability condition), transition-age youth (individuals between the ages 18-24), homeless families with children (at least one adult over 18 with at least one child under 18), and veterans. The survey provides greater insight into the experiences of certain groups among the unhoused in the County and trends in their number:
• Chronic homelessness: The number of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness increased from 730 to 818 between 2025 and 2026. While the overall PIT Count held roughly steady, this increase suggests that people experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County are experiencing longer periods of homelessness and are facing higher vulnerability.
• Veterans: The number of homeless veterans rose slightly, from 99 to 104, remaining essentially steady.
• Homeless Families: families dropped from 78 to 42. This decline is likely attributed to the countywide homelessness prevention program Keep People Housed, which has served 394 households in its first two years including 440 children and 547 adults who were at risk of homelessness.
• Transition-age youth: The number of transition-age youth (ages 18-24) and unaccompanied children (under 18) rose from 123 to 168. This increase is attributed to the lingering effects of the closure of Social Advocates for Youth (SAY), formerly the county's largest youth provider and operator of its only youth shelter. Transition-age youth are less likely to seek services through adult shelters or programs and have had fewer resources available than in previous years.
Additionally, 90% of individuals surveyed reported becoming homeless while already living in Sonoma County.
The comprehensive report (Attachment 1) includes further information on causes of homelessness and racial and ethnic demographic data.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Healthy and Safe Communities
Goal: Goal 4: Reduce the County’s overall homeless population by 10% each year by enhancing services through improved coordination and collaboration.
Objective: Objective 3: Increase investment in programs that treat underlying causes of homelessness, including substance abuse, mental illness, poverty, and lack of affordable housing.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
DHS annually reports the results of the PIT Count of Persons Experiencing Homelessness, and most recently reported to the Board on September 9, 2025.
On October 22, 2024 DHS requested Award of an Agreement for Annual Homelessness PIT Count services to Applied Survey Research for period November 1, 2024 to October 31, 2029 in an amount not to exceed $480,000.
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
None
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - 2026 Sonoma County Point-in-Time Count Report
Attachment 2 - Counts Over the Last Three Years
Attachment 3 - Presentation
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None