San Diego County launches homelessness data dashboard detailing programs, spending, and outcomes across unincorporated areas
A new public dashboard expands access to county homelessness program information
San Diego County has released a public-facing homelessness data dashboard designed to consolidate information on services and program activity in the county’s unincorporated areas. The tool sits within the county’s Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) program dashboards and presents regularly updated snapshots intended to support planning, coordination and public transparency.
The OHS dashboard structure highlights county-run and county-funded efforts that focus on outreach, case management and emergency housing solutions, including services targeted to specialized populations. The program dashboard page also includes a dedicated monthly view focused on unincorporated regional homeless services, reflecting the county’s direct jurisdiction outside incorporated cities.
How this differs from annual homelessness counts
County leaders and regional partners typically rely on two kinds of public data to describe homelessness: ongoing program-system data and periodic population counts. The annual Point-in-Time Count provides a one-night minimum estimate of people experiencing homelessness and is used for federal reporting and funding allocation. In January 2025, the regionwide count recorded 9,905 people experiencing homelessness across San Diego County, including 5,714 unsheltered and 4,191 in shelters and transitional housing.
The same reporting cycle showed year-over-year decreases in several categories and jurisdictions, including a reduction in total homelessness for the region and declines reported in multiple cities. The county also separately reported results for the unincorporated area: 254 total people counted (178 unsheltered and 76 sheltered), an 11% decrease in the unsheltered count compared with 2024.
The newly released county dashboard is not a replacement for the Point-in-Time Count; instead, it is positioned as an operational view of programs and services that can be refreshed more frequently than annual counts.
What users can expect to find in the county dashboard environment
Within the OHS dashboard environment, the county emphasizes program-level reporting meant to show activity and service delivery. The county frames OHS as responsible for collaborative, coordinated outreach and case management through multi-disciplinary partnerships, alongside planning and program implementation.
Monthly reporting views focused on services in unincorporated communities.
Program dashboards intended to summarize direct services and county initiatives.
Context materials and companion resources, including county homelessness planning documents.
Dashboard context: local planning and upcoming count cycle
The dashboard’s release arrives as local agencies continue to prepare for the next annual census cycle. The 2026 Point-in-Time Count was conducted on January 29, 2026, with volunteers deployed across the county as part of the regionwide effort.
Separately, the county’s homelessness planning framework includes periodic reporting and a county action plan dashboard that tracks milestones tied to homelessness solutions and prevention priorities.
For residents, service providers and policymakers, the county’s dashboard approach represents a shift toward more frequent, program-centered visibility alongside the annual snapshot counts that measure the region’s minimum homeless population.
San Diego County officials have indicated the dashboard is intended to help users understand how programs operate over time and to support coordination across agencies involved in homelessness response.