Thursday, July 16, 2026
Report: More San Diegans exit homelessness, fewer return
A new Regional Task Force on Homelessness report found more people in San Diego are moving into permanent housing and remaining housed, though longer waits for housing and sustained demand continue to challenge the region's homelessness response system.
More people experiencing homelessness in San Diego are moving into permanent housing and fewer are returning to homelessness after being housed, according to a new report from the Regional Task Force on Homelessness.
The homeless response system, however, continues to face sustained demand and longer waits for housing for some groups.
The task force's 2025 data and performance report, released last week, analyzes three years of federal performance data from fiscal years 2023 through 2025 submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Unlike the annual Point-in-Time Count, which measures homelessness on a single night each January, the report tracks how people move through the region's homeless response system over time.
The report found the percentage of people exiting to permanent housing in San Diego increased from 23 percent in fiscal 2023 to 29 percent in fiscal 2025. Veterans experienced the largest improvement, with exits to permanent housing rising from 30 percent to 42 percent.
Street outreach programs also showed significant gains. The share of people contacted through outreach who successfully moved into permanent housing climbed from 24 percent to 53 percent during the three-year period, according to the Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH).
The report also found fewer people returned to homelessness after obtaining permanent housing. The percentage of people who became homeless again within two years of obtaining permanent housing declined from 25 percent to 21 percent, while returns within six months dropped from 11 percent to 9 percent.
"We're seeing real improvement in how many people we're helping into permanent housing and how many are staying housed once they get there," RTFH chief executive officer Tamera Kohler said in a statement. "But the system is still serving tens of thousands of people every year, and for some of them - especially seniors and adults without children - the wait for housing is still too long."
The report found first-time homelessness also declined across most groups. Households entering emergency shelters, safe havens and transitional housing programs fell from 5,590 to 5,290 during the three-year period. Combined entries across shelter and permanent housing programs decreased from 6,905 to 6,411.
Despite those improvements, the average length of time people remained homeless increased from 185 days to 193 days. Adult-only households averaged 202 days homeless, while adults age 55 and older averaged 234 days in fiscal 2025, the longest of any group tracked in the report.
The region's homeless response system also continued serving a large number of people. The number of households receiving services increased from 35,945 in fiscal 2023 to 38,189 in fiscal 2025, although the total number of individuals served leveled off after rising in fiscal 2024.
Task force officials said the improvements reflect sustained federal, state and local investments in homelessness programs, including U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding for permanent supportive housing and rental assistance. They said continued progress will depend on maintaining those funding sources as the region works to reduce homelessness and shorten the time people remain without permanent housing.
The homeless response system, however, continues to face sustained demand and longer waits for housing for some groups.
The task force's 2025 data and performance report, released last week, analyzes three years of federal performance data from fiscal years 2023 through 2025 submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Unlike the annual Point-in-Time Count, which measures homelessness on a single night each January, the report tracks how people move through the region's homeless response system over time.
The report found the percentage of people exiting to permanent housing in San Diego increased from 23 percent in fiscal 2023 to 29 percent in fiscal 2025. Veterans experienced the largest improvement, with exits to permanent housing rising from 30 percent to 42 percent.
Street outreach programs also showed significant gains. The share of people contacted through outreach who successfully moved into permanent housing climbed from 24 percent to 53 percent during the three-year period, according to the Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH).
The report also found fewer people returned to homelessness after obtaining permanent housing. The percentage of people who became homeless again within two years of obtaining permanent housing declined from 25 percent to 21 percent, while returns within six months dropped from 11 percent to 9 percent.
"We're seeing real improvement in how many people we're helping into permanent housing and how many are staying housed once they get there," RTFH chief executive officer Tamera Kohler said in a statement. "But the system is still serving tens of thousands of people every year, and for some of them - especially seniors and adults without children - the wait for housing is still too long."
The report found first-time homelessness also declined across most groups. Households entering emergency shelters, safe havens and transitional housing programs fell from 5,590 to 5,290 during the three-year period. Combined entries across shelter and permanent housing programs decreased from 6,905 to 6,411.
Despite those improvements, the average length of time people remained homeless increased from 185 days to 193 days. Adult-only households averaged 202 days homeless, while adults age 55 and older averaged 234 days in fiscal 2025, the longest of any group tracked in the report.
The region's homeless response system also continued serving a large number of people. The number of households receiving services increased from 35,945 in fiscal 2023 to 38,189 in fiscal 2025, although the total number of individuals served leveled off after rising in fiscal 2024.
Task force officials said the improvements reflect sustained federal, state and local investments in homelessness programs, including U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding for permanent supportive housing and rental assistance. They said continued progress will depend on maintaining those funding sources as the region works to reduce homelessness and shorten the time people remain without permanent housing.
