Martinez Sees Increase In Homeless People, Report Shows

MARTINEZ, CA — There was an increase in the number of homeless people in Martinez during the annual point-in-time count in January, and an overall 4 percent increase in Contra Costa County, according to an annual report on homelessness presented Tuesday to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

Further, the number of homeless is believed to be much higher than was actually counted, officials said. Among the contributing factors, Contra Costa Health officials told supervisors, was that workers need to earn $41.77 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Contra Costa County.

"I actually got some updated information yesterday, so it didn't make it in here and it's actually increased to almost $44 an hour, so it's even more dire than what we have up on the screen," Christy Saxton, director of health, housing and homeless services for CCH, told the board.
"That equates to three full-time minimum wage jobs. That's a lot of work in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Contra Costa."

Saxton said in neighboring Solano County, workers need about $33 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment.

"It shows that disparity of what we're dealing with here in Contra Costa," Saxton said. "That cost of housing is one of the single biggest factors in the rate of homelessness across the country, not just for Contra Costa, but across the country."

The report said the cost of housing is the biggest factor in the county's levels of homelessness, which 2,372 people from 1,911 households were experiencing during the county's 2023 annual point-in-time count of people without housing.

Of those, 1,653 people — 70 percent — were unsheltered. Of the unsheltered, 40 percent were sleeping outdoors or in a tent; 12 percent were sleeping in an RV; 11 percent were spending their nights in a car; and 4 percent were living in a van.

Another 719 people — 30 percent— were among the homeless but were considered sheltered because they were sleeping at an emergency shelter or in transitional housing of some sort.

In Martinez, the number of homeless people went from 127 in 2020 to 140 this year.

Concord and Clayton also saw an increase. In Concord, the number of homeless went from 160 in 2020 to 241; in Clayton, the number went from two homeless people to 10.

In Walnut Creek, there were 40 homeless people located during this year's point-in-time count, compared to 80 homeless people in 2020.

Across the Central County area, there was a 4 percent overall decrease in the number of homeless people in 2023 when compared to 2020. Volunteers counted 496 homeless during this year's point-in-time count compared to 514 in 2020.

>>See an interactive map of results from the point-in-time count.<<

There was no change in Danville, which had seven homeless people in 2020 and seven in 2023.

Pleasant Hill went from 90 homeless people to 31, and Pacheco went from 26 homeless people to 20.

Infographic Shows Data From 2023 Homeless Point-In-Time Count

Number Of Homeless Closer To 10,000, County Officials Say

County officials believe the number of homeless people in the county is likely closer to 10,000, because when the count was taken over a two- to three-hour period on Jan. 25, it was not long after one of last winter's severe storms forced many people to flee encampments.

"That's just who we happened to count that day," said Supervisor Candace Andersen. "And as you go further down in your presentation, the community is going to see that we have served through a continuum of (health) care, over 10,000 individuals who are homeless."

The report also said 30 percent of 5,849 households in "crisis response" in 2022 exited to temporary or permanent housing and 87 percent of 1,169 households using prevention services retained or exited into permanent housing, a number Saxton said showed the county does well in finding housing for those in need.

The report said 1,632 individuals had 7,559 total healthcare visits, whether they were going to county health facilities or workers were coming to them. It also said 96 percent of 1,116 households served in county permanent housing programs retained their housing.

Overall, Contra Costa Health served 19,136 individuals in 2022 from 10,600 households.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.