Homeless
Numbers

August 20, 2015 -- The numbers are in. The homeless have been counted. I was one of 400 volunteer counters on 1/30/2015 as I recounted then.

But first, how exactly is homelessness defined? The federal government's definition excludes many whom we in SF consider homeless. They exclude:

...individuals who are "doubled-up" in the homes of family or friends, staying in jails, hospitals, and rehabilitation facilities, families living in Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units, and in substandard or inadequate living conditions including overcrowded spaces.
In accordance with the federal rules, we did not report the numbers of these people, but we hope that eventually they, too, will be included and eligible to receive the services they, too, need.

Here is a summary of what we found in the 49 square miles that comprise San Francisco:

  • 6686 homeless adults, 250 more than were counted in 2013
  • 853 homeless youth, 61 fewer than in 2013.
For the details, please see the full report.

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