Homeless Count: What could the numbers look like?

The Riverside County Homeless Point-in-Time Count is taking place Wednesday morning at the Palm Springs Pavilion. It is intended to accurately count the number of unhoused residents in the city.

It will be attended by Palm Springs mayor Ron deHarte, police chief Andrew Mills and fire chief Paul Alvarado.

The count helps determine the level of federal funding for homeless initiatives.

But some county officials say the recent encampment ordinance could encourage some to move to areas that are less enforced, such as unincorporated area, which they say are already struggling with a homeless problem of their own.

“It is an issue in the incorporated areas, not to the extent in cities, but areas like Thousand Plans and Desert Hot Springs as well. And that’s primarily because you see a lot more enforcement or 'no trespassing' within city boundaries.”

Greg Rodriguez, Riverside County Housing Workforce Solutions Workforce Department deputy director

He adds it can be difficult to capture the full picture with a single snapshot survey. The actual number could be two to three times more than what's counted.

But officials feel they have a better grasp on the issue with growing resources.

In 2023, the counted determined that 239 people were living without a permanent residence in Palm Springs. The same count found there were about 1,049 homeless people in the Coachella Valley, 28% of the county total.

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