Southern California Homeless Count Reveals Regional Differences and Data Gaps

This year’s homelessness count across Southern California brought both encouraging developments and ongoing concerns.

In Riverside County, the total number of people experiencing homelessness increased. However, there was a decrease in the number of unsheltered individuals — meaning that while more people became homeless, more of them also found space in shelters. That shift led to fewer people visibly living on the streets.

Los Angeles County, by contrast, reported a slight overall decrease in homelessness. But there’s an important caveat: L.A.’s official count excludes thousands of individuals who are couch surfing, in rehab facilities, incarcerated, or temporarily living in motels. In Riverside County, those populations are included, offering a broader — and in some ways more troubling — picture of the region’s homelessness crisis. NBC Palm Springs’ Mary Strong spoke with Victoria Stinson, Executive Director of Victory Starts Now, a nonprofit working closely with some of the region’s most vulnerable residents.