Homeless population in Fresno and Madera up 3%. Why that number will likely grow
The number of people living unsheltered in the region has grown by 10% over the last count, the Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care said this week.
The entire homeless population, which includes those in shelters, rose by 3% from the last count in 2023, according to a point-in-time count from Jan. 28 conducted by the Continuum.
Officially, there were 4,493 homeless people as of Jan. 24, 2023, in the last count in the Fresno and Madera tally.
A full report on this year’s tally will be released after the numbers are reported to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in June.
The news of a growing homeless population in Fresno and Madera counties comes as the Fresno Housing Authority raised concerns about proposed federal cuts that could affect housing security for many families.
On top of that, the city of Fresno has taken a more aggressive stance on dealing with homelessness, including making arrests of the unhoused if they decline to accept help. The county adopted a similar ordinance.
Madera city has a less aggressive law related to camping, but police can make arrests after a warning to leave.
Officials said the growing number is difficult to pin down to any one factor, with the lack of affordable housing, low incomes, mental health challenges and substance abuse disorders all contributing to the rise.
The number of people needing help has continued to outpace the people who make it out of homelessness and into permanent housing, according to Amina Flores-Becker, a Continuum board member and deputy Fresno County administrative officer.
“While we are housing more people than ever before, more people are becoming homeless for the first time or returning to homelessness after being connected to permanent housing,” she said in an email.
The federal budget proposed earlier this month showed significant cuts to programs related to homelessness.
After 2025, Fresno Housing Authority will no longer receive funding to support 260 Fresno families with federal Emergency Housing Vouchers, a program that started in 2021.
Officials from the Fresno Housing Authority said that program was originally intended to continue through 2030, and was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Slashing those five years would amount to a $15 million cut, according to the authority.
The proposed budget also included a cut to Continuum of Care funding, according to Laura Moreno, the chairperson for the Fresno-Madera Continuum.
“We will likely see a continued rise in those experiencing homelessness due to the proposed federal budget related to homeless funding,” she said in an email.
