City of Pasadena Conducts 2026 Homeless Count

[Link] PASADENA, Calif. - The City of Pasadena conducted the 2026 Point-in-Time Homeless Count on Wednesday night, January 21, from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and the following morning on Thursday, January 22, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., with a supplementary Youth Count taking place Thursday afternoon. Volunteer teams also counted in all ten of the City's branch libraries and at locations where people receive services.

Approximately 200 volunteers, both new and returning, participated in this year's count, which the City's Housing Department oversaw. Teams of four to six people were deployed to 28 geographic zones covering the City's entire geography and used a mobile, GIS-enabled app to conduct a survey which was developed by the City's Department of Information Technology. Volunteers distributed cold weather kits with warm clothing items, snacks, and resource flyers. The Pasadena Police Department provided critical support, surveying in the City's parks, freeway embankments, and other hard-to-access locations. The Pasadena Public Health Department, in partnership with Huntington Health, administered flu, COVID, and hepatitis A vaccines and distributed Narcan overdose reversal kits throughout the count.

"The community response has been incredibly encouraging. We surpassed our volunteer recruitment goals ahead of schedule, demonstrating that Pasadena residents view homelessness as a critical problem that is deserving of time and attention," said Homeless Count Coordinator Christina Kasali. "This year, 48% of volunteers participated in the Pasadena Homeless Count for the first time. We're grateful to everyone who participated and made the count a success."

The Homeless Count provides a "snapshot" of what the homeless population looks like on any given night. Count data is most useful as a tool to study the demographics of the unhoused population and to track trends over time. Pasadena was the first city in the State of California, and one of the first three cities in the nation, to conduct a dedicated Homeless Count in 1992.

Homeless Count data is used year-round to inform the planning and funding of homeless services in the City and is used by federal, state, and county funders in the allocation of homeless services grants. The results of the Homeless Count will be available by June 2026.