Yolo County homelessness down 3% but racial inequities worsen in latest PIT count
Yolo County’s homeless population declined slightly over the past two years, but nearly two-thirds of the people counted in January were living outdoors as county leaders considered millions of dollars in cuts to the services many rely on.
The county’s 2026 Point-in-Time count identified 912 people experiencing homelessness, down 3% from 2024 but still 22% higher than in 2022. The federally required count, conducted Jan. 27 by Yolo County’s Homeless and Poverty Action Coalition, found that about 65% of people experiencing homelessness were unsheltered.
“The count demonstrates the critical need for continued investment in homeless prevention, emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing solutions across Yolo County,” the report states.
Release of the report this week comes as the Yolo County Board of Supervisors consider about $9 million in cuts to the Health and Human Services Agency, including layoffs, position eliminations and the possible closure of the county welfare office in Winters.
Who is homeless in Yolo County?
During the Point-in-Time count, held every two years, survey teams collected demographic information and asked respondents about their history of homelessness. Among unsheltered respondents, 47% said they had lived in Yolo County for more than 10 years. Nearly 30% said they grew up in the county, and 44% said they were in Yolo County to be near family or friends.
Adults ages 25 to 34 made up the largest age group, accounting for about one-third of the county’s homeless population. Black residents remained disproportionately represented.
Statewide, Black Californians accounted for about one in four people experiencing homelessness despite making up just 7% of the population, according to a 2024 UCSF study. In Yolo County, Black residents made up 13.5% of the homeless population, up from 10% two years ago, while accounting for about 3.2% of Yolo County residents.
Most people experiencing homelessness in Yolo County were unsheltered. About 35% were staying in shelters.
Woodland had the highest number of unsheltered residents experiencing homelessness, but West Sacramento had the largest total homeless population because it had more shelter beds.
Of the 276 people staying in shelters countywide, 159 — or 57.6% — were in West Sacramento.
Davis had 43 people in emergency shelters and 10 in transitional housing. Woodland had 81 people in emergency shelters and 22 in transitional housing.
Since 2019, Yolo County has seen a sharp increase in homelessness.
Compared with 2024, homelessness increased in Davis by about 19% and in West Sacramento by about 23%, while Woodland saw a 23% decrease. Winters and unincorporated areas experienced the steepest declines, with homelessness falling by more than 45%.
High needs, limited resources
The Point-in-Time count also gathered information used to determine whether a person met the federal definition of chronic homelessness. A person is considered chronically homeless if they have been homeless for at least 12 consecutive months, or on four separate occasions totaling 12 months within three years, and have a diagnosed mental illness or physical disability.
About 65% of people experiencing homelessness in Yolo County were considered chronically homeless. Many reported significant health challenges:
- About one-third reported a substance use disorder.
- About 22% reported post-traumatic stress disorder.
- About 28% reported living with a serious mental illness.
- About 17% reported having a developmental disability.
- About 16% reported co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
“The high percentage of chronically homeless individuals with disabilities underscores the importance of coordinated mental health, substance use treatment, and supportive services,” the report states.
County officials were considering cuts to several of those services as they worked to close a $35 million budget deficit.
Proposed reductions included eliminating social worker and benefits staff positions and closing the county welfare office in Winters. Employees and advocates told supervisors that benefits workers help residents secure aid they qualify for and ensure the county receives reimbursements for eligible services.
“Without accuracy in our jobs, we fall out of compliance,” ESS Program Supervisor Jennifer Kalinen wrote in a May 5 letter to county supervisors. “That means we are not within the guidelines set by the state & federal government — and funding can be taken away.”
Federal funding cuts threaten to overburden counties, who will be responsible for the increases in healthcare costs, Yolo County Board of Supervisors Chair Sheila Allen wrote in an op-ed article published Thursday by The Sacramento Bee.
“County budgets are already strained and cannot absorb this cost shock,” Allen wrote.
Yolo County proposed about $9 million in cuts to its Health and Human Services Agency, including eliminating 32 vacant or soon-to-be-vacant positions and laying off 26 employees.
“If counties are forced to absorb these costs alone, the consequences will be felt far beyond healthcare,” Allen wrote. Every local service will be affected: public safety, fire departments, homeless services, child welfare programs and more.”
Opponents of the cuts said closing the Winters benefits office would disproportionately affect low-income residents, particularly those struggling to meet increasingly complex eligibility requirements.
“Many people lose benefits not because they are ineligible, but because they cannot meet the increased paperwork and reporting demands,” Maria Vargas, a program supervisor with the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency, wrote in a letter to county supervisors earlier this month. “We are a lifeline.”
