City Completes Delayed 2025 Homeless Field Count; Results Will Be Released in June

The City of Pasadena Department of Housing has completed its annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count, a critical data-gathering initiative that provides a snapshot of the homeless population and guides strategic planning and funding for homeless services.

The count, postponed due to the Eaton Fire, was conducted on February 19 from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and February 20 from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., with a supplementary youth count on Wednesday afternoon.

A total of 169 volunteers surveyed people experiencing homelessness across the City’s 28 geographic zones.

“After we had to delay the count, we are grateful that 169 volunteers stepped up to thoroughly canvas the City over a two-day period,” said Dan Davidson, Homeless Count Coordinator. “Only with their help are we able to compile this critical information that guides the City’s strategic planning for homeless services.”

Teams of four to five volunteers used a mobile, GIS-enabled survey tool developed by the City’s Department of Information Technology to conduct the count.

The Pasadena Police Department provided support by surveying hard-to-access locations, including parks and freeway embankments.

Although most of the Eaton Fire damage occurred in Altadena, beyond Pasadena’s scope, the Pasadena Public Health Department provided safety guidance to volunteers assigned to zones encompassing portions of the burn scar. No people experiencing homelessness were found in fire-impacted areas.

The initiative included comprehensive health services through a partnership between the Pasadena Public Health Department and Huntington Hospital. Healthcare workers offered COVID-19, Hepatitis A, and flu vaccines, along with Narcan overdose reversal kits. A dedicated Vaccine Strike Team was available to provide immediate services in the field.

Volunteers distributed cold weather supplies, including socks, hats, beanies, and hand warmers, along with resource cards to those they encountered. The count encompassed both unsheltered individuals and those in shelters, transitional housing, or using motel vouchers.

The data collected serves as a vital tool for studying the demographics of the unhoused population and tracking trends over time.

Results from the 2025 count are expected to be released by June 2025.

Pasadena, which became the first city in the State of California and one of the first three cities in the nation to conduct a dedicated homeless count in 1992, uses this data to inform year-round planning and secure state and federal housing grants.