Pasadena Homelessness Rises 4% to 581 People in Annual Point-in-Time Count

Homelessness in Pasadena increased 4% to 581 people during the 2025 Point In Time Count, with unsheltered homelessness rising 7% despite the count occurring just six weeks after the Eaton Fire disaster, City Housing Director Jim Wong will tell the City Council Monday night.

The annual count found 342 people living in unsheltered locations, an increase of 21 people from 2024’s count of 321. More than half of the unsheltered population sleeps on streets or sidewalks, representing the most visible segment of homeless residents, according to Wong.

The sheltered count included 12 people who reported being directly impacted by the Eaton Fire. Emergency resources like FEMA transitional sheltering assistance, Airbnb stays, and hotel stays through Los Angeles County’s 211 helped mitigate the disaster’s immediate impact on homelessness numbers. The American Red Cross evacuation shelter had already relocated from the Pasadena Convention Center to Pamela Park in Duarte by the time of the count.

Single adults without children now comprise 83% of Pasadena’s homeless population, totaling 485 individuals. This represents a 7% increase from 455 in 2024. Single adults are more likely to be chronically homeless than families, at 58% versus 21%, and more likely to have a long-term health condition or disability at 72% versus 23%.

Regional mobility among the homeless population has increased. While half of unsheltered residents were last housed in Pasadena and had lived here for an average of 19 years at the time of housing loss, 14% lost housing elsewhere in the San Gabriel Valley, up from 9% in 2024, representing an additional 21 people. Overall, 84% of all unsheltered individuals were last housed somewhere in Los Angeles County.

Veteran homelessness continued declining for the second consecutive year. Twenty-nine veterans experienced homelessness in 2025, down from 32 in 2024 and 40 in 2023.

The city faces funding challenges ahead. Proposed federal cuts threaten 76% of the Housing Department’s fiscal year 2026 budget. However, Los Angeles County’s Measure A will bring expanded funding for homeless services and affordable housing development, with the potential to strengthen the city’s response to homelessness and help bridge critical funding gaps caused by federal cuts.

Local service providers report increased requests for help as low-income households and those who were already precariously housed prior to the disaster struggle to maintain housing or shelter.

Results are available at www.pasadenahomelesscount.org.