SF Reports Fewer Encampments
San Francisco's mayor has announced a new low in the number of homeless encampments and RVs for the month of February. The city attributes the decline to its ongoing housing and service initiatives, though specific data on the reduction was not released.
The latest quarterly data from Mayor Daniel Lurie's office shows 155 encampments in February, a slight decrease from 162 in the previous quarter. This total includes 61 tents and 94 structures. This marks the third instance of a record low in encampment numbers since the mayor took office in early 2025. The number of individuals living in RVs saw a more significant drop of nearly 20% from the last quarter, decreasing from 529 to 435. Of these, 259 were permitted vehicles. A pilot program is credited with successfully housing 47 households that were previously living in RVs. One of the city's key initiatives is the "Journey Home" program, which assists unhoused individuals in relocating to reconnect with family or other support systems. In February, the program reconnected 44 people, the highest monthly number since 2022. This program was recently expanded in partnership with the nonprofit Glide to operate 24/7. While the number of tents and structures has seen a significant long-term decrease since a peak of 1,108 in April 2020, the recent numbers are relatively flat compared to the summer of 2025. The last biennial Point-in-Time count in January 2024, which provides a broader snapshot, showed 8,328 homeless individuals, a 7% increase from 2022. The results of the 2026 count are anticipated in April or May.
