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By Miriam Raftery
Photo by Robert Gehr: A homeless person's tent on grassy area along Main Street in downtown El Cajon
May 24, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – The 2025 Point-in-Time count of homeless people conducted in January found large drops in homelessness countywide in nearly every community, with a 72% drop in families living on the streets-indicators that efforts to help the homeless are likely having positive results.
In East County, only El Cajon showed an increase. But the city argues that the count is inaccurate, including several census tracts that are not in the city limits or only partially in the city, as well as inflating the count in other areas within its city limits.
What the count shows
Overall, homelessness decreased 7% countywide from January 2024 to January 2025,according to the count. A total of 9,905 homeless people were counted this year, compared to 10,605 a year ago, with over 1,700 volunteers participating in the count. The total includes 5,714 unsheltered people and 4,191 individuals in shelters or traditional housing. Those living in vehicles are counted among the unsheltered.
The county found substantial progress in helping homeless families. Countywide, the count found a hefty 72% drop from the prior year in unsheltered families (from 43 to 12), while homeless individuals in families dropped 68% (from 142 to 64). Families living in shelters dropped 13%(from 564 to 405).
The number of homeless children and young adults also improved. Unsheltered youths ages 18-24 fell 22% (from380 to 289) while unsheltered children under 18 dropped 14%, from 85 to 73. Transitional youths in shelters fell 18%(from 459 to 378) while the number of children under 18 in shelters dropped 7% (from 871 to 807).
Veterans homelessness also dropped sharpy, by 25% and those chronically homeless dropped 5%.
Homeless persons living on CalTrans property fell 31%, likely a result of the county opening safe parking areas in El Cajon and Spring Valley in the vicinity of CalTrans sites.
Regional Task Force CEO Tamara Kohler called this progress “encouraging” adding, “The investments our region and cities have made are working, especially as they relate to veterans, family homelessness, and those needing a little financial assistance.”
But some segments worsened. The number of seniors age 55 and up experiencing homelessness for the first time rose 5%, while people living in vehicles rose 7%, potentially reflecting rising housing costs leaving more people unable to afford a place to live.
El Cajon disputes count
A report issued by the Regional Task force on Homelessness indicates the count found 344 unsheltered people in El Cajon, up from 283 last year—a 21.6% rise ,or an increase of 61 people on the streets. It also counted 695 individuals in shelters.
But according to City Manager Graham Mitchell, the count included two census tracts completely outside of the city limits, as well as five more that are “mostly to partially” outside city limits, as a boundary map that he provided shows. Three of those tracts alone “could easily account for 43 individuals outside the city limits,” he states in an email to the mayor and city council members.
In addition, Mitchell believes the count was inflated in some areas within the city. Mitchell participated in the county along with coworkers and volunteers from Home Start. “There is no way that we encountered 73 individuals along Second Street near I-8 to Madison Avenue,” he states. “I also asked our Homeless Outreach Team about those figures in that area and again, they are baffled.” He says the count along Second Street and Main Avenue which he also helped count “is easily 50 people too high. I also think there was double counting along Main Street from two different groups.”
Mitchell, in an email to Kohler, asked that the data be adjusted and offered to have staff assist in going over the data.
The city suggests that its still substantial number of homeless has been driven in part by the county placing homeless individuals in El Cajon motels as part of a voucher program, a situation some other cities don’t face.
The County recently closed its safe parking area for the homeless just outside the El Cajon city limits for remodeling, which may be further exacerbating homeless in neighboring El Cajon.
The city of El Cajon supports several programs to help the homeless, including substantial funding to the East County Transitional Living Center, which shelters many people and families transitioning off the streets.
ECM has reached out to Kohler to request comments, but she has not responded.
Highlights from other East County cities
The number of homeless counted in La Mesa dropped by 9%, an improvement that may be due in part to Urban Street Angeles opening two transitional housing programs in La Mesa that can house up to 75 people. In La Mesa, 9 people were in such shelters, while 52 unsheltered people were counted.
Lemon Grove’s 110 homeless are all unsheltered, since the city has no shelter nor any transitional living center. However its number held steady, down by 1 individual over the 111 counted last year. The county is planning to build sleeping cabins for the homeless, though it’s not guaranteed that priority will be given to people already homeless in Lemon Grove, since a waiting list may draw from a broader region.
Santee also has no shelter, however it had a 27.4% drop in unsheltered individuals counted at 53, down from 73 last year.
Among unincorporated East County communities where counting was done, Alpine remains at zero homeless people, likely due to cold winter weather and lack of transit access, though Ramona with similar challenges had 9 unsheltered people counted, down from 13 last year, a 30.8% decrease.
Lakeside had 47 homeless, all unsheltered, down from 52 last year. Spring Valley had 106 homeless counted, all unsheltered, down 17.8% over last year’s 106.
Poway had an 800% increase, though the total number of homeless counted is small-only 9 individuals, all unsheltered, but last year there was only one person counted.
Escondido has 307 unsheltered people and 231 in shelters, with a 23.4% drop in its unsheltered population.
More questions over count’s accuracy countywide
Bonita resident Paul Henkin, in an email to ECM, notes that the Regional Task Force on homeless does not count people in jail or prison. “In Houston, 2017, counting people in jail increased the count by 57%,” he says.
Some cities, including San Diego, don’t count people in hospitals, even if they were living on the street before being hospitalized.
He suggests that the count might be higher if conducted during warm weather months, since cold January temperatures can result in family members or friends temporarily taking in homeless persons.
The county “probably omits people in hard-to-get-to areas like rugged terrain of national forests, or canyons and riverbeds,” he adds.
John Brady with Lived Experience Advisors told NBC 7 that the count figures don’t fit with the reality he sees. “Numbers have not gone down. They’ve gone up,” he says. “We are serving more people than ever.”
Brady called the press release with count figures “bait for political leaders.” He says of this year’s count, “Either a lot of people died or a lot of people are in jail,”or he concludes,”Given the inaccuracies of the Point-in-Time count, we just didn’t manage to get everybody.”
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