San Luis Obispo County’s total number of homeless individuals decreased by 5 percent since 2024, according to the finalized 2026 Point-in-Time Count.
Required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Point-in-Time Count is a snapshot of homelessness over a single day that takes place every other year. The 2026 survey occurred on Jan. 26, recording 1,118 people experiencing homelessness that day.
“Considering the decrease in overall homelessness, it is also important to note that we saw an increase in the count of sheltered individuals locally,” Kate Bourne with the county’s Department of Social Services told the SLO City Council at its July 21 meeting. “Opening additional shelter beds, opening additional capacity reduces unsheltered homelessness.”
Bourne is referring to the 3 percent increase in the number of sheltered homeless people compared to 2025. Data from the Homeless Services Division showed the proportion of sheltered homeless individuals has been increasing since 2022, going from 20 percent that year to 40 percent in 2026.
The number of unsheltered people, on the other hand, has been declining since 2022, dropping from 80 percent that year to 60 percent in 2026.
“This convergence of the two lines indicates progress in the system that is working as intended,” Bourne said.
Unsheltered means a state of living in anything that isn’t an indoor space meant for human habitation.
This year, the county was able to validate trends against other community data like the Homeless Management Information System quarterly dashboard that collects information on housing and services provided to the homeless and those at risk of being unhoused across the county.
Countywide, veteran homelessness decreased by 47 percent, but the rate of homeless youth ages between 18 and 24 slightly increased.
Homelessness fluctuated in the city of SLO. While total homelessness went down from 512 in 2024 to 503 in 2026, the sheltered count rose from 202 to 230 people. The unsheltered count dropped from 310 to 273 people.
Forty-five percent of tallied homeless people resided in SLO, while 34 percent, 18 percent, and 3 percent of counted homeless people living across North County, South County, and the coastal region, respectively.
SLO Homelessness Response Manager Daisy Wiberg told council members that the Welcome Home Village and the Beacon Studios project could lead to a decrease in the number of unsheltered people.
“Welcome Home Village is set to open soon, which will house people on the Bob Jones bike trail,” Wiberg said. “The Beacon Studios project is scheduled to open next summer or fall, and that’ll be 79 new units.”
The city is also trying to improve encampment response that ensures staff offer services to the homeless first and coordinate with the specialized Community Action Team (CAT) and the Mobile Crisis Unit (MCU).
According to the city’s July 22 press release, SLO plans on reinforced coordination with county Behavioral Health and embed clinicians with the CAT and MCU teams in response to high levels of serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and domestic violence reflected in the Point-in-Time Count.
SLO Tenants Union member Barry Price told city officials at the meeting that the county’s presentation of the count failed to explore why many people are unhoused, adding that there’s a “disturbing increase” in the number of working people, families, young adults, and children experiencing homelessness.
“We’d like to know how many of these people were formerly housed and lost their homes due to eviction or inability to pay rent,” Price said. “I’ll just remind council that prevention is the most cost-effective and human-centered solution. We can help keep people in their existing homes and off the streets by enacting no-fault eviction protections.”
