Hundreds of volunteers joined members of the Board of Supervisors and Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk Josie Gonzales this morning, Jan. 22, to canvass cities, towns and unincorporated areas to support the unhoused community and collect data for the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count.
“Addressing homelessness remains one of our highest priorities,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. “I’m grateful to our county departments, community volunteers and the San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership for working together to ensure this year’s count was a success.”
To enhance the 2026 PIT Count, San Bernardino County had more field resources, including a mobile team that was deployed in real time to serve the needs of the unhoused community by providing emergency housing, temporary shelter and supportive services.
“The annual count is more than just about collecting data,” said Office of Homeless Services (OHS) Chief Marcus Dillard. “It’s an opportunity to connect people experiencing homelessness to housing and supportive services that can help them move towards stability.”
To further enhance this year’s count, OHS expanded how it distributes information to volunteers by establishing a Story Map that includes details on the PIT Count, volunteer training schedules, instructional videos for setting up the mobile app, a map of deployment sites and volunteer resources.
The 2025 PIT Count reported that 3,821 individuals were experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in San Bernardino County, which indicated a 10.2 percent decrease in homelessness. In 2024, the overall homeless population grew by 1 percent, compared to 26 percent in 2023 and 6.6 percent in 2022. Ultimately, last year’s results indicated progress in addressing this issue.
The annual count is crucial for securing grant funding to assist individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Results from the 2026 PIT Count will be released later this year.
