EL CAJON HOMELESS COUNT FINDINGS ADJUSTED IN RESPONSE TO CITY’S COMPLAINT

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By Miriam Raftery

File photo: Homeless outreach workers offer help to an unsheltered person in an El Cajon park

June 19, 2025 (El Cajon) – The Regional Task Force on Homelessness has acknowledged that its 2025 Point in Time County overstated the number of homeless people in the city of El Cajon. The report included 24 homeless individuals who were outside the city limits. 

Originally, the report listed 344 unsheltered people in El Cajon—a 21.6% rise over the prior year.  In fact, the increase was 13.07%, for a total of 320 unsheltered persons living on the streets.  The city also has 695 individuals living in shelters)

““Moving forward, to reflect this geographic area more accurately, the census tract designation will change from `El Cajon’ to `El Cajon, including unincorporated communities,”‘ the Task Force indicated.

The change follows criticisms from City Manager Graham Mitchell and Mayor Bill Wells over findings of the count done in January.

Mitchell told ECM that 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. Mitchell participated in the count along with coworkers and volunteers from Home Start, also believed some individuals may have been double counted. He asked to have the data adjusted.

The city suggested 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.

Mayor Wells has criticized the count methodology. “ ““It’s clear to me that there are some flaws in the point-in-time count methodology and that this resulted in the numbers of homeless in El Cajon being overstated,” he said, Times of San Diego reports.

In an email, Wells told City News Service that he appreciated the task force working with El Cajon to clarify the numbers.

The Regional Task Force’s CEO said the Point-in-Time Count “is an imperfect tool, but it is a vital one in helping us understand the scope of homelessness across our region.”

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 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.

Countywide, the Point in Time Count’s 1700 volunteers found 9,905 homeless people, a decrease from 10,605 in January 2024.  The 2025 count found 5,714 unsheltered San Diegans and 4,191 individuals in shelters and transitional housing.

In East County, only El Cajon showed an increase, as ECM previously reported.

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.

 


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Comments

Homeless increase

Is still unacceptable in America. Humans need a place to "live", not just surviving on the streets and bushes. "Safe sites" in my opinion are one way to assist them to regain their dignity. Somewhere folks can be off the streets and not shuffled around. Services of many types can be established to help people on a road to normalcy. Other cities are doing this with fair success. ECTLC is just one avenue, yet some homeless people refuse to go there and abide by the rules. Even if every one would be willing, the place does not have the capacity to take everyone in, so alternative options need to be available. Establishing authorized sites for the homeless to "live", would be a win for them, the city, other residents, visitors / tourists and businesses alike. Reduces the overall cost of city police interaction and subsequent cleanup / sanitation as well.