Homeless Count Keeps Climbing As Rents Hit $3,600 A Month In SMC

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — The number of people experiencing homelessness in San Mateo County rose slightly in 2026, driven entirely by more people staying in shelters, while the number living outside remained unchanged, according to the county's latest One Day Homeless Count.

The count, conducted in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, identified 2,240 people experiencing homelessness — up 5 percent from 2,130 in 2024. Of those, 1,095 were in shelters, an increase of 110 from the previous count, while 1,145 remained unsheltered, flat from 2024.

Officials cautioned against reading the raw numbers in isolation. Between the 2024 and 2026 counts, 1,772 people moved out of homelessness into permanent housing — a figure that doesn't show up in the snapshot total.

"The federally mandated count provides an important point-in-time snapshot every two years. It's one of many data points we track on the movement of people into and out of homelessness," said Claire Cunningham, Director of the county's Human Services Agency.

The backdrop for those numbers is a rental market that continues to squeeze lower-income residents. The fair market rent for a two-bedroom unit in San Mateo County climbed from $3,359 in 2024 to $3,604 in 2026, according to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates.

"While structural factors like high housing costs, income inequality, and longstanding systematic barriers are key drivers of homelessness, there is no single solution to the problem," said Amy Davidson, HSA's Center on Homelessness Director.

Among the 1,145 unsheltered residents counted, 42 percent were sleeping in cars or vans, 27 percent in RVs, 22 percent on the street, and 7 percent in tents or makeshift shelters. Pacifica had the highest unsheltered count of any city in the county at 228, followed by Redwood City at 175 and Daly City at 147. Several wealthier communities — including Atherton, Hillsborough, Portola Valley, and Woodside — recorded zero unsheltered individuals.

Since 2020, the county has expanded shelter capacity by 41 percent, adding four new non-congregate shelters with 449 beds offering private accommodations and intensive support services, along with 45 additional beds at existing congregate shelters and 15 transitional housing beds paired with mental health services.

Since 2013, the county has committed roughly $365 million in Measure K and other local dollars toward the creation of more than 5,100 affordable permanent homes.

The county has also launched Right at Home, a nationally grant-funded prevention program offering flexible financial assistance and case management to help residents avoid losing housing in the first place. A state-funded encampment resolution initiative has transitioned 170 people from 26 encampments into shelter or stable housing.