New data from San Diego County’s annual homeless census shows an overall drop in homelessness countywide, with almost all North County cities seeing decreases in their unsheltered homeless populations.
However, combined numbers of unsheltered and sheltered homeless people in North County decreased only slightly compared to 2024 data.
The Numbers
Both unsheltered and sheltered homelessness in San Diego County went down by 7 percent compared to last year, according to data from The Regional Task Force on Homelessness, which oversees the annual point-in-time count.
In North County, every city except Poway and Fallbrook saw decreases in unsheltered homelessness compared to last year.
The city of Escondido saw one of the most significant decreases, with unsheltered homelessness dropping by 23.4 percent from 401 in 2024 to 307 in 2025. Escondido, which had the highest unsheltered homeless population in North County last year, is now in second place behind Oceanside.
With 318 unsheltered homeless people counted this year, Oceanside now has the highest unsheltered count in North County. The city still saw a drop of about 11.9 percent, going from 361 unsheltered people in 2024 to 318.
Encinitas also saw a significant drop in unsheltered numbers this year, decreasing by 26 percent. The city’s unsheltered homeless population decreased from 123 people last year to 91 this year.
The city of Vista’s unsheltered numbers dropped by 15.3 percent, going from 170 people in 2024 to 144 in 2025.
Only two North County cities, Poway and Fallbrook, saw increases in their unsheltered populations. Poway’s unsheltered number increased from one unsheltered person in 2024 to eight people in 2025. Fallbrook had seven unsheltered people last year and now has 16 unsheltered people, according to the count.
Overall, combined numbers for unsheltered and sheltered homeless people in all of North County dropped only slightly compared to last year decreasing by 13 people, or 0.75 percent, compared to 2024.
What It All Means
In the past couple of years, we’ve seen a shift in how some North County cities are approaching the issue of homelessness.
Escondido, Vista, Encinitas, Poway, San Marcos, Oceanside and Carlsbad have adopted or expanded their own versions of public camping bans, which prohibit encampments on public property.
Most of these cities ban public camping regardless of shelter availability, thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that gave cities more power to crack down on homeless encampments whether there are open shelter beds or not. And in Carlsbad’s case, the camping ban extends to people sleeping in their vehicles.
And some cities, like Escondido, have placed a stronger emphasis on prioritizing shelter and services for their own residents.
Escondido and Encinitas have also been cracking down on the more visible impacts of homelessness—such as littering, loitering, and other illegal activity—that can sometimes occur around homeless-serving nonprofits.
Task Force CEO Tamera Kohler told Voice of San Diego that the countywide decreases could be attributed to state initiatives like the Encampment Resolution Grants and more targeted services that are now being offered for families or veterans. She noted that cities with and without camping bans saw decreased numbers.
Take It With a Grain of Salt
Despite these decreases throughout most of the county, other data from the Regional Task Force on Homelessness show that thousands more people have accessed homeless services than were counted in the point-in-time count.
There was also a 7 percent spike in vehicle homelessness in San Diego County compared to last year, according to data from the Task Force. And more people continue to fall into homelessness each month than are coming out of it, data shows.
Service providers and the Task Force say the census, which is conducted over one day, is only a small snapshot of the county’s overall homeless landscape.
In Other News
The portion of the Oceanside Municipal Pier that caught fire last April will remain off limits to visitors for at least another two summers, according to city officials. Repairs are expected to cost as much as $17 million. (Union-Tribune)
SANDAG officials will release their second official notice that environmental studies are about to begin in the plan to move a portion of the train tracks from Del Mar’s fragile bluffs into an underground tunnel. Last time SANDAG made this announcement, the negative feedback prompted the agency to go back to the drawing board and establish new tunnel routes. (Union-Tribune)
The city of Encinitas, in partnership with Jewish Family Services, is extending its safe parking program through the end of 2025. (Coast News)
The North County chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) launched a text hotline earlier this month that may be the first of its kind across the organization. Now, people can have the option to call or text the North County AA chapter for help with their sobriety. (ncsandiegoaa.org)
