Fewer People Are Sleeping on San Francisco Streets. But Family Homelessness Is Up | KQED

"The tally, which takes place every two years, sends surveyors out to scan the city block by block in a single day to count the number of people who are homeless both outside, including in cars and tents, and in shelters. It is widely considered an imperfect measure, but a valuable tool in measuring broad changes in the city's homeless population."

"Despite the encouraging overall decrease, this year's PIT Count found a 15% increase since 2024 in families experiencing homelessness. Many live in their vehicles. The finding comes as rent prices and evictions in San Francisco have increased. Kunal Modi, the mayor's homelessness chief, pointed to the city's rising cost of living as a key reason families are struggling to stay housed."

""It's everything from the availability of affordable housing to the cost of everyday living, whether it's gas or groceries or rising rents," Modi said. "The homeless response system sits alongside other work around family zoning or efforts to keep people enrolled in their benefits... and we're going to think about all of these elements working together to keep families housed.""

"In October 2025, permits were issued to large vehicles and RVs to avoid towing and citations as the city worked to move families and individuals living in campers into housing. A total of 132 households have moved from their vehicles to housing, and the city has cited nearly 800 large vehicles and towed 240 since the start of the program, according to city data."

The biennial PIT Count sends surveyors through the city block by block in a single day to count people experiencing homelessness outside, including in cars and tents, and in shelters. The count is widely viewed as imperfect but useful for tracking broad changes. Despite an encouraging overall decrease, the latest PIT Count found a 15% increase since 2024 in families experiencing homelessness, with many living in vehicles. The increase coincides with rising rent prices and evictions in San Francisco. The mayor’s homelessness chief attributed the problem to the availability of affordable housing and the cost of everyday living, including gas, groceries, and rising rents. The city’s RV-clearing program issued permits to large vehicles and RVs to reduce towing and citations while moving people into housing. City data reported 132 households moved from vehicles to housing, with nearly 800 large vehicles cited and 240 towed since the program began.

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