Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative’s 2024 Point-in-Time Count reveals a big jump in the number of un-housed people. Chairman Carlos Baldovinos says he sees things improving overall, but admits that drug abuse and mental health problems complicate the issue.

One element that tends to hold steady year to year: the majority of un-housed people are located in the Bakersfield Metro Area.

Photo credit: Bakersfield Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative