New federal figures indicated that Santa Clara County has the highest unhoused population of all nine Bay Area counties.
According to the report, nearly 39,000 unhoused people live in the Bay Area, 10,394 of whom live in Santa Clara County.
"No surprise whatsoever that's probably even an undercount," said Shaunn Cartwright, founder of the Unhoused Response Group. "It's because people are priced out of San Jose, and they end up on the street getting a. Also, many people are getting evicted after Covid protections ended."
Across the Bay Area and in the state, about two-thirds of homeless residents live on the streets while the rest stay in shelters. Santa Clara County saw a 5% increase in homelessness compared to the last county in 2023.
In Contra Costa County, homelessness increased by 20%, San Mateo experienced a 14% increase, and San Francisco is up 10% compared to 2023 figures.
Homeless advocates said drug and mental health challenges are also contributing to the problem.
In November of last year, Santa Clara County officials announced that it is now housing more homeless veterans with targeted assistance.
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"I think one ongoing problem is that when you talk about housing, you’re talking to consultants instead of talking to the people that are living it and understand the barriers that are set," said Robert Aguirre, who's lived on Bay Area streets for 20 years.
A new county of unhoused Bay Area residents is expected to occur later this month.
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