According to the latest reports, San Francisco’s latest tally, conducted on a single night in January estimates the city’s homeless population at 7,499 people.
The number is fewer that then last report recorded in 2015, 7,539 people. But the number is still up from 2013’s 7,350 and from previous years.
District Six had the largest overall homeless population with 3,655 people. In 2015 that figure was 4,528, and in 2013 it was 3,593.
District Four had the lowest count, coming in at 31. In the last count the district had only seven homeless residents, but in the count before that, it was 136.
The Golden Gate Park is now counted separately from surrounding districts had 313 people, up from 252 in 2015.
A third of homeless who responded to the surveyor’s questions were women, 61% were men, 5% were transgender and 1% did not identify with any gender.
An estimated 34% of homeless survey respondents were black, even though African-Americans make up only six percent of the city’s overall population.
35% were white, 4% Asian, 3% Native American, 2% Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 22% described as “multiracial.”
22% were Hispanic/Latino, which may or may not overlap with other demographic groups.
The number of homeless youth was 513 this year, down from 853 two years ago.
The proportion of “first time homeless” was 25% this year, down from 30% in 2015 and 48% in 2013.
According to those who responded to the questions, the leading causes of homelessness: 22% said Job loss, 15% said alcohol or drug problems, 13% family dispute, 12% eviction and 10% said divorce or breakups.
Asked what their biggest obstacle was toward finding permanent shelter, 56 percent cited the cost of renting in the city, 33 percent cited joblessness, and 25 percent blamed a shortage of housing.
The director of the Department of Homeless Affairs said: “This report didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know,” and predicted that the count would be down significantly by 2019.
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