MONTEREY, Calif. —
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The latest numbers coming out of the first-of-its-kind Homeless Summit are positive, as they saw a decrease in the number of homeless people since 2019.
“What we are doing here in Monterey County is leading edge. We are really at the forefront of addressing homelessness in a way that is humane and effective,” Monterey County Supervisor Mary Adams said.
“What was really significant about these Point In Time numbers was that we had a decrease. So, the number was about 2,047 folks that we counted that are unhoused in Monterey County,” Genevieve Lucas-Conwell, Coalition of Homeless Service Providers, said.
“The Point in Time count is something that we’ve done for many years. I’ve been part of that for a long, long time. So, to see the numbers decreasing really is uplifting,” Adams said.
The number of homeless people reduced by 15% overall. It was reduced by 50% in Monterey, 10% in Salinas and Marina, and 16% in Seaside.
Advocates say the idea that homeless people are coming here from other places is not accurate. Lucas-Conwell says the data shows that over 80% are initially from Monterey County, and in San Benito County, 95% are local.
Lucas-Conwell says something particularly striking about the data was that 50% of the homeless population became homeless because of money problems, not what most people typically think of as a common reason.