The Stanislaus Community System of Care (CSOC) has released its 2025 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count and identified 2,086 homeless people in Stanislaus County, a slight increase from last year’s total count of 2,052.
A total of 18 persons were counted in Ceres, seven in Keyes and two in Hughson. Ceres’ count may be so low for its size because of its close proximity of Modesto where 1,603 homeless persons were counted.
The count is a snapshot in time – a total of unsheltered and sheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night during the last 10 days of January.
Two counts took place. The sheltered count took place on the evening of Wednesday, January 29 while the count of unsheltered homeless was held the following day. The 2025 Homeless Shelter Count was organized by the Stanislaus Community System of Care (CSOC) which includes local governments, non-profits, and homeless providers. CSOC is a local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals.
The Stanislaus County census found 950 unsheltered individuals and 1,136 sheltered people in the county.
“The annual count provides useful data to inform the CSOC, agencies, and non-profit organizations in creating and assessing strategies in addressing homelessness in Stanislaus County,” said Maryn Pitt, CSOC Chair. “It’s vital to understand who makes up our homeless populations and their challenges to accessing services and ultimately getting housed.”
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires all local Continuums of Cares (CoCs) to conduct PIT counts as a condition to receive funding. The numbers are used to determine funding allocations to address homelessness.
“This is the third year that the PIT count has shown an increase in sheltered people and that we have more sheltered than unsheltered, which speaks to the effective efforts of our outreach and engagement efforts,” stated Pitt. “It’s the third count where we’ve seen this statistic, so I consider that a trend.”
How do the numbers compare to the 2004 PIT count?
The year-to-year numbers find that there has not been any significant increase or decrease in the homeless population and that a trend has emerged in the increased number of sheltered individuals versus those who are unsheltered.
The count also continues to show that a large majority of people experiencing homelessness are from the Stanislaus County region and have become homeless while living here.
Who are the homeless?
• The largest age group identified in the survey were 35-44 years of age, a total of 484 people;
• Half of the homeless surveyed said they spent time in jail or prison; 46% said they stayed in a hospital overnight; and 23% reported they had been in a treatment center.
• 72% responded that they first became homeless in Stanislaus County; 68% said they had been homeless for more than 36 months in our community.
Where are the homeless?
• The city of Modesto, the seat of Stanislaus County, had the largest number of homeless surveyed with 1,603 people. The city of Turlock was second with 241 people.
• 54% of the count (1,136 people) came from the sheltered population-congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotel/motel voucher programs
• 46% (950 people) came from the count of people living on the streets, in parks, abandoned buildings, or in their cars.
• 71% of the 1,136 sheltered population stayed in Emergency Shelter and 11% in a hotel/motel paid by non-profit organizations, while 18% stayed in Transitional Housing.
What are the reasons for becoming homeless?
• 24% said they were asked to leave from the place they were staying.
• 23% responded that they lost their job • 23% responded they were unable to pay their rent or mortgage.
What are the obstacles to accessing services?
• 15% said lack of transportation.
• 12% said they didn’t know where to go for help.
• 11% said they were placed on a waitlist and never contacted
Other Homeless Populations (Adults Only)
• 26% had a serious mental illness.
• 15% had a substance use disorder.
• 13% were survivors of domestic violence.
For more information, please visit www.csocstan.com.
