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Monterey County: 2026 Point-in-Time count shows reductions but officials warn funding shifts threaten progress
Summary
The county reported a 15% drop in overall homelessness and a 23% drop in unsheltered homelessness in the 2026 point-in-time count, with marked declines across several subpopulations; county officials cautioned federal funding changes and a rise in first-episode homelessness could reverse gains.
Monterey County’s 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) count showed measurable reductions in homelessness, county Homeless Services Director Roxanne Wilson said during the briefing. "For overall homelessness, we have seen a 15% reduction," Wilson said, adding that unsheltered homelessness declined by 23%.
Wilson highlighted broad declines across subpopulations: veteran homelessness dropped about 43%, chronic homelessness about 39%, family homelessness about 30% and unaccompanied children/transition-age youth about 37%. She said unincorporated-area homelessness fell roughly 72%, attributing some gains to targeted encampment-resolution funding and coordinated shelter and placement efforts.
Wilson cautioned the county faces headwinds: the share of people experiencing their first episode of homelessness rose from 23% in 2024 to 60% in 2026, and she warned federal and state policy shifts may reduce stable funding. "Historically, 95% of what's called the annual renewal demand was almost guaranteed to be funded. This year, HUD dropped it down to 60%," Wilson said, adding that the federal emphasis is shifting toward outreach and transitional services rather than permanent housing.
She said some timing effects also influence the count: moves into King City’s Homekey site Casa de Esperanza occurred after the January count and therefore will likely appear as reductions in future counts. When asked about shelter capacity in Salinas, Wilson said the precise housing inventory count is maintained on the PIT day and recommended requests to the Coalition of Homeless Services Providers for exact bed totals; she noted closures (including Chinatown Navigation Center after the count) will affect future inventories.
Wilson also urged caution interpreting one figure that increased — the share reportedly sleeping outdoors rose from roughly 45% to about 69% — because volunteer-dependent survey methods and sampling anomalies can create spikes in particular measures.
A full presentation of the PIT results will go to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors on August 25, county staff said.
