Final numbers released by the Stanislaus Community System of Care (CSOC) for its 2025 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count identified 2,086 homeless people in Stanislaus County, a slight increase from last year’s total count of 2,052.

“The annual count provides useful data to inform the CSOC, agencies, and non-profit organizations in creating and assessing strategies in addressing homelessness in Stanislaus County,” stated Maryn Pitt, CSOC Chair. “It’s vital to understand who makes up our homeless populations and their challenges to accessing services and ultimately getting housed.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all local Continuums of Cares (CoCs) to conduct PIT counts as a condition to receive funding. The numbers are used to determine funding allocations to address homelessness.

The count is a snapshot in time – a total of unsheltered and sheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night during the last 10 days of January.

The Stanislaus County census found 950 unsheltered individuals and 1,136 sheltered people in the county.

“This is the third year that the PIT count has shown an increase in sheltered people and that we have more sheltered than unsheltered, which speaks to the effective efforts of our outreach and engagement efforts,” stated Pitt. “It’s the third count where we’ve seen this statistic, so I consider that a trend.”

The year-to-year numbers find that there has not been any significant increase in the homeless population and that a trend has emerged in the increased number of sheltered individuals versus those who are unsheltered. The count also continues to show that a large majority of people experiencing homelessness are from the Stanislaus County region and have become homeless while living here.

Who are the homeless?

The largest age group identified in the survey were 35-44 years of age, a total of 484 people. Fifty percent of the homeless surveyed said they spent time in jail or prison; 46 percent said they stayed in a hospital overnight; and 23 percent reported they had been in a treatment center.

Also, 72 percent responded that they first became homeless in Stanislaus County; 68 percent said they had been homeless for more than 36 months in the community.

Where are the homeless?

The city of Modesto, the seat of Stanislaus County, had the largest number of homeless surveyed with 1,603 people. The city of Turlock was second with 241 people. Oakdale had 50 people classified as homeless and Riverbank had 31.

Fifty-four percent of the count (1,136 people) came from the sheltered population-congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotel/motel voucher programs; 46 percent (950 people) came from the count of people living on the streets, in parks, abandoned buildings, or in their cars. Seventy-one percent of the 1,136 Sheltered population stayed in Emergency Shelter and 11 percent in a hotel/motel paid by non-profit organizations, while 18 percent stayed in Transitional Housing.

What are the reasons for becoming homeless?

Twenty-four percent said they were asked to leave from the place they were staying; 23 percent responded that they lost their job. Another 23 percent responded they were unable to pay their rent or mortgage.

What are the obstacles to accessing services?

Fifteen percent said lack of transportation; 12 percent said they didn’t know where to go for help and another 11 percent said they were placed on a waitlist and never contacted.

When was the PIT Count and who organized it?

The sheltered count took place on the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. The count of unsheltered homeless people was held Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. The 2025 Homeless Shelter Count is organized by the Stanislaus Community System of Care (CSOC) which includes local governments, non-profits, and homeless providers. CSOC is a local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals. For more information, visit www.csocstan.com