Measure Description
The number of individuals in San Francisco experiencing homelessness during the biennial Point-in-Time (PIT) count. The count includes two categorizations of homelessness:
- Unsheltered: A nighttime count of unsheltered homeless individuals and families. This includes people sleeping outdoors on the street; at bus and train stations; in parks, tents, and makeshift shelters; and in vehicles and abandoned properties.
- Sheltered: A count of homeless individuals and families staying at publicly and privately operated shelters the night of the count. This includes those in emergency shelters, transitional housing, safe parking sites, and domestic violence shelters.
The measure is a Citywide trend measure with no performance target.
Why this Measure is Important
Reporting on this measure provides a snapshot of homelessness in San Francisco. This measure helps inform legislation and programs by showing trends over time including the demand for homeless services as well as the types of services needed.
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all communities who receive federal funding for homelessness services to conduct a PIT count.
The chart’s legend is below:
- Y-axis: Number of homeless individuals and families experiencing homelessness on the night of the biennial PIT Count
- X-Axis: Calendar years
Homeless Population - Point in Time Count
How Performance is Measured
Although generally a higher proportion (52% in FY24) of those experiencing homelessness are unsheltered, the number of homeless people in shelters has increased each PIT Count. Pre-pandemic sheltered counts increased by 64.2% since 2015, from 2,417 to 3,969.
Data Notes and Sources
The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing provides a detailed breakdown of PIT Count data on their website.
The full report is released every summer - the most recent report, the 2024 PIT Count Report, was released in August 2024.
Data lag time: 4-6 months after the Biennial PIT count is complete.
Additional Information
- Read current and previous PIT Count reports, including a detailed breakdown by population type, from the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.
City Performance Scorecards
This page is part of the City Performance Scorecards.
Return to the Homelessness Services Scorecard.
Return to the City Performance Scorecards Home Page.