Fresno-Madera homeless count rises 9.2% as California sees overall decline

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The homeless population in Fresno and Madera counties saw a modest increase in the latest Point-in-Time count, even as overall numbers declined across California and the nation.

The Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care reported Monday that its 2025 Point-in-Time homelessness count showed a 9.2% increase compared with 2023. A total of 4,905 people were reported homeless on the night of the count.

Among those counted, 29% cited a substance use disorder and 31% reported a serious mental illness. Five percent were younger than 18.

Officials also reported more than 4,000 beds available year-round for people experiencing homelessness across the two counties, with 84% occupied on the night of the count.

The results have been highly anticipated, though county officials cautioned that the figures may not reflect current conditions.

They attributed that concern to delays from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which took more than a year to validate the submission.

According to the department’s 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, California was among five states to report a decrease in homelessness last year, with a 2.8% drop – the state’s first decline since 2016. Nationwide, homelessness fell 3.3%.

The continuum of care also released initial, unvalidated data from its most recent count, which used a new survey-based method rather than relying solely on visual tallies.

“Not only will we have a count of people that are experiencing homelessness, we’re also going to get that information from them about how they got here, what happened that caused this situation in their life,” Laura said.

The updated approach included trained volunteers asking questions about demographics, disabilities and causes of homelessness.

Preliminary figures from the new method show 1,619 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and 1,635 reported as sheltered.

Officials noted that unsheltered individuals who declined to complete the survey will not be included in the 2026 count.

County officials said the new system is intended to provide more detailed insights into homelessness in the region, while future validated counts will offer a clearer picture of trends over time.

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