In Long Beach, the Homeless Point in Time Count isn’t just a requirement – it's a mission.

The City goes far beyond the biannual visual count required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, conducting its count annually and surveying everyone who is willing to discuss the circumstances affecting their housing status. This work is made possible with the help of hundreds of volunteers throughout the city.

In the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 23, as the city of Long Beach slept under a chilly Southern California sky, more than 300 volunteers and City staff spread out across all 52 square miles of Long Beach for a mission that has become more than just a federal requirement, but a calling to better understand our most vulnerable residents.

Watch the 2025 PIT Count in action – Instagram Reel

After a thorough review and analysis of the data collected, the City shared the results with the Long Beach community.

This year’s count revealed 3,595 people experiencing homelessness in Long Beach, a 6.5% increase from 2024. On the surface, the number raised concern. But context told a deeper story.

Last year, nearly 1,600 people were connected to permanent housing and exited homelessness. The count revealed chronic homelessness had dropped, veterans were finding more permanent housing placements and new shelter facilities were opening.

Yet more people still fell into homelessness this past year, despite these positive steps forward.

The count took place during the Southern California wildfires, and 167 people reported being displaced by the flames. When fire-related displacement was accounted for, the underlying increase in homelessness was 1.5%, indicating that Long Beach's continuing efforts are helping stabilize what has historically been a growing crisis.

Upstream prevention plays a critical role in deterring homelessness, as it tackles systemic and personal factors that often push people into homelessness in the first place.

From efforts such as housing vouchers, targeted case management, legal aid for renters facing eviction, workforce development programs, and increasing the affordable housing stock, the City is fighting to prevent people from falling into homelessness.

These allow staff to take proactive steps to address the root causes of homelessness – with the goal of preventing it before it even begins – rather than only focusing on reactive measures to get folks out of it.

The City’s approach is more than just counting people; it’s about understanding lives. By gathering detailed demographic and cause-of-homelessness data, Long Beach can mold programs to meet real needs.

The 2025 count revealed that our Long Beach population experiencing homelessness is as diverse as the city, and that they are somewhat younger than the previous year, with the average age dropping from 48.8 to 46.8 years. The leading causes of homelessness in Long Beach – affecting 85.3% of the homeless population – are financial and employment issues, family issues and mental health challenges.

This year, Long Beach made meaningful progress. Chronic homelessness declined and shelter access rose to 46.6%. These are clear signs that the City's focused strategies are working.

Central to this progress are new facilities like Homekey at 1725, a former motel now offering 99 interim housing units with comprehensive support services. Additional projects are underway, including a youth shelter and another Homekey site, which will add even more housing. With nearly 1,600 people rehoused last year, Long Beach is showing what’s possible when strategic investment is matched with compassionate action.

As we know, there is no one single path that leads someone into homelessness, and in turn no single solution to prevent it from happening. But by following the data and taking a strategic human-focused approach to preventing and responding to homelessness, the City can change the course of many lives.

Long Beach’s Point-In-Time Count is more than a set of numbers. It’s a window into the lives of our neighbors in crisis and a reminder of what a city can accomplish when it refuses to look away.

For more information about the City’s response to homelessness, visit longbeach.gov/homelessness.