There were 3,439 unsheltered homeless in San Joaquin County as of Jan. 29.

That reflects an increase of nearly 160 percent since the last point-in-time-count was conducted in 2022.

The 2022 number of unsheltered homeless was pegged at 1,355.

When sheltered and unsheltered numbers are combined, the official homeless count for 2024 in all seven San Joaquin County cities as well as the unincorporated areas of the county is 4,723.

That homeless count to 2,319 in 2022.

The San Joaquin County Continuum of Care data submitted to the federal Department of Housing and urban Development reported 1,254 homeless were being sheltered.

That is up 964 from 2022 reflecting the addition of 286 beds in the past two years.

The homeless count for Manteca in January was 238.

It represents an increase of 19 individuals — or 8 percent — over the previous count in January of 2022 that tallied 219 homeless.

The higher count, while up from 2022, was expected.

That’s because this time around Manteca city personnel along with volunteers who work day-in and day-out with the homeless had a well-documented list of locations where they knew homeless were either camping or hanging out.

That said, the Manteca increase of 8 percent was significantly lower than the overall county growth in homeless that ended up being close to 160 percent over the past two years.

Several programs are underway to address the complex issue of homelessness throughout the county:

*City of Manteca - Opened two, 25 bed dormitory modular units for overnight use in April 2024; His Way Refuge Center is the current provider of the City’s unsheltered emergency center; plans to complete the Manteca Navigation Center with mixed-use/affordable housing components.

*City of Tracy – Created a Homeless Services Division in June of 2022; opened a 48-bed shelter in November 2022; added 38 beds to the shelter in December 2023; construction will begin on a 70-bed Navigation Center in August 2024.

*City of Stockton – Created a Homeless Strategic Initiative Manager position in 2023; supported and received three Homekey Awards creating more than 100 units of homeless housing; funded a navigation center and the Pathways project at St. Mary's Community Services that will net more than 400 beds for unsheltered homeless, due to open later this year.

*City of Lodi – Added 100+ permanent/transitional housing units and shelter beds since the 2022 PIT Count; partnered with social service providers to aid 330 families with rental assistance; plans for 108 additional affordable housing units for seniors and Veterans; intends to open a permanent Access Center and Emergency Shelter by Fall 2025.

*San Joaquin County – Funded a Homeless Leadership Forum, facilitated by United Way, San Joaquin County, and Health Care Services; appointed an Interim Program Administrator of Homeless Initiatives; created a Community Assessment, Response and Engagement (CARE) Team; and transitioned its Neighborhood Preservation division to the Human Services Agency.

“The demand for homeless services has increased year-over-year, accompanied by concerns from community members, government funding partners, and service providers alike,” noted Krista M. Fiser, the new Chair of the San Joaquin County Continuum of Care. “Accurate and relevant data is the starting point for measuring meaningful outcomes while engendering trust, transparency and alignment to achieve a common goal.”

The data collected also helps cities and the county to obtain federal homeless funding.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com