Homelessness in Sacramento

The State of Homelessness dashboard provides a monthly snapshot of the number of people experiencing homelessness and insights into how they enter and exit the Homeless Response System (HRS). Understanding these trends helps inform partnerships, funding decisions, and prevention efforts to better support our community.

Important Note: The numbers in this dashboard reflect ‘known’ data from our Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). While this provides valuable insights, it does not capture everyone experiencing homelessness, including many of our unhoused neighbors who may not be connected to services.

For the best experience, view this dashboard on a desktop device. Use the dropdown below to select a month and year to explore changes in homelessness over time.

Learn About the Dashboard

Click on the video above for an overview of the State of Homelessness dashboard and to understand the information it provides.

Dashboard FAQs

How often is the dashboard updated?

The dashboard is updated monthly, with new data published on the 15th of each month.

This allows time for service providers to update records for the previous month and ensure accuracy.

Why might I see changes in past months’ data?

HMIS is a live database, which means providers continually enter and update client information. Sometimes, data entry is delayed, or corrections are made after the fact. When the dashboard is refreshed monthly, it pulls the most current information from HMIS and recalculates counts, even for previous months, based on the updated data.

This helps ensure that inflow, outflow, and total counts remain accurate over time. Think of it like balancing a checkbook—if a transaction is added or corrected later, your monthly total adjusts to reflect the full picture. The dashboard works the same way to reflect the most accurate view of system activity.

What’s the difference between the data in this dashboard and the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count?

The State of Homelessness Dashboard and the PIT Count both help us understand homelessness in our community, but they are very different tools, with different purposes. Here’s how they differ:

The dashboard uses dynamic data from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). It reflects information on people who are actively utilizing services like shelter, outreach, or coordinated access through agencies in our community. The dashboard is updated every month and shows trends over time.
The PIT Count is a snapshot of homelessness during a short timeframe, typically a night or two, in January. Sheltered individuals are counted every year using data from service providers, while volunteers and outreach teams count and survey people sleeping outside every other year.
The dashboard is continuously updated as providers enter information, so it reflects changes in real time. The PIT Count is static – it tells us what homelessness looked like on one specific night.

Why was there a noticeable dip in inflow and outflow in fall 2024?

In fall 2024, our Coordinated Access System (CAS) experienced a major system transition. This included the launch of two new assessment tools—one for shelter access and one for housing programs. During this time:

We temporarily paused client assessments while staff assessor training and certification occurred.
Providers adjusted to new processes, such as logging enrollments in the CAS program at the time of assessment.
The implementation period delayed data entry, which is reflected in the dip in the dashboard data.

Can I download or explore the data myself?

The dashboard is intended for online viewing via our website platform. The dynamic nature of the dashboard requires that we monitor and maintain it in this way.

Diving Into 2024 Data

The following presentation summarizes 2024 data, demographics, and trends regarding homelessness in Sacramento. If you have questions or would like to request a briefing, please submit an inquiry through the contact form below.

Have a Question?

If you have a question, please feel free to submit it below.