Orange County Sees 28 Percent Increase in Homeless Population Since 2022 

Homelessness in California’s Orange County has increased 28 percent since 2022, according to the 2024 biennial point-in-time count released May 8. According to the count’s results, the county had 7,322 homeless individuals, of which 43 percent were sheltered, and 57 percent were unsheltered. According to the data, over 90 percent of those counted were in the northern and central regions of the county. In terms of specific cities, Santa Ana and Anaheim had the highest counts of both sheltered and unsheltered individuals. While the majority of both sheltered and unsheltered individuals fall between the ages of 25 and 61, over 18 percent of those sheltered were minors. The report also indicated that substance abuse was the leading disabling condition among the unsheltered, while mental illness was among the sheltered....