Measure Description
Number of individuals (includes both sheltered and unsheltered) in San Francisco experiencing homelessness during the biennial Point-in-Time (PIT) count.
- Calculation methodology: Every two years, the City conducts a street count of individuals, families, and youth experiencing homelessness on a single night. It covers all 47 square miles of San Francisco. The sheltered count uses administrative data for people staying in emergency shelters and transitional housing on the same evening.
- Metric type: Population
- Department: PIT Count is a Citywide indicator. The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing supports Citywide efforts to collect and report PIT Count data.
Why this Measure is Important
San Franciscans think that homelessness is one of the biggest issues facing the City and addressing homelessness in the City is included in Mayor Breed's top priorities.
To address the problem, we need to know how many people are homeless in San Francisco. This number helps us understand how many people need homeless services. It also helps tell us what types of services people need.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all communities who receive federal funding for homelessness services to conduct a PIT count.
Homeless Population - Point in Time Count
How Performance is Measured
San Francisco conducted the street count on January 30, 2024, from 8PM to midnight. It covered all 47 square miles of San Francisco. The shelter count uses administrative data for people staying in shelter on the same evening. The shelter count includes all people staying in emergency shelters and transitional housing.
The number of people counted include:
- People sleeping outdoors, in cars, or in other places that are not meant for overnight use.
- People in shelters.
Applied Survey Research is working with the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to create the final report with more detailed data breakdowns. This final report will include more detailed information about people experiencing homelessness. This will include more detail about the homeless population including demographics, veteran status, and chronic homelessness.
When more detail is available, it will be included on this page.
Data Notes and Sources
The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing provides a detailed breakdown of the preliminary 2024 PIT Count data on their website. The full report will be released in summer 2024.
Data lag time: 4-6 months after the Biennial PIT count is complete
Additional Information
- Read the Point-in-Time Homeless Count Reports from the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.
City Performance Scorecards
This page is part of the City Performance Scorecards.