The number of homeless in Kern County increases by 50 percent since 2018 PIT count

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The latest figures on the number of homeless people in Kern County have just been released.

The Kern County Homeless Collaborative reports that 1,330 homeless people were counted in shelters and on the streets during the annual Point in Time Homeless Count that happened in January.

The count took place on Jan 30-31.

On the night of the count, volunteers found 525 homeless people spent the night in a shelter, but 805 slept outside.

The count showed a 50-percent increase in the number of homeless people versus the count from 2018. The 2018 count found 885 homeless people.

The PIT count drew 49 percent more volunteers who helped count and survey those experiencing homelessness in Kern County.

The PIT count had twice as many volunteers counting in 2019 as there were in 2018.

The report released by the KCHC said the additional volunteers resulted in a more comprehensive count than in the past two years.

The homeless subpopulations that saw the most increases were families with children, veterans and youth ages 18 to 24.

Families with children make up 16 percent of the homeless population, veterans account for 10 percent and youths 18 to 24 represent 8 percent.

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Other key findings in the report:

• 80 percent of Kern County’s homeless population was located in Metro Bakersfield, 20 percent in rural cities and communities outside of Bakersfield.
• 44 percent of Bakersfield’s homeless population had shelter on the count night, 56 percent were unsheltered. Only 11 percent of rural homeless people had shelter.
• Homelessness in Metro Bakersfield rose by 42 percent over the previous year, driven by a 108 percent jump in the number of unsheltered homeless people. Rural homelessness rose by 131 percent.
• Countywide, 85 percent of homeless families with children had shelter; 69 percent of single adults were unsheltered.
• Countywide, families with children accounted for 16 percent of the homeless population. Children constituted almost 11 percent of homeless people counted.