Find answers to common questions about homelessness services, county programs, and available resources.
In June of 2023, the County of Fresno Board of Supervisors adopted the AT HOME plan, a strategic framework that was created in partnership with the California State Association of Counties to address the homelessness crisis in the State. Additionally, in March of 2024, the County adopted a regional homelessness action plan in collaboration with the City of Fresno, County of Madera, and the Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care to align local efforts to provide assistance to those experiencing homelessness in our community.
Several County Departments are working on issues intersecting with the homelessness crisis. Some of the departments that are regularly involved in responding to homelessness include:
The latest Point-in-Time Count (PIT) estimates there are 594 people living unsheltered in unincorporated Fresno County on any given night – which means they are living in a tent, a vehicle, or without any shelter. The total number experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the Fresno-Madera region, including in the cities of Fresno and Madera, is 2758.
There are approximately 1300 emergency shelter beds in Fresno County, primarily located in the city of Fresno, serving individuals, families, and transitional age youth. The County of Fresno currently funds 141 of these beds.
In addition to traditional emergency shelter beds, the County funds 325 temporary shelter beds through recovery residences, transitional housing, and Behavioral Health Bridge Housing programs.
Homeless encampments take a variety of forms, including groups living under freeway overpasses, sleeping in parks, living on sidewalks or in vehicles/RVs. Encampments include those living with nothing more than sleeping mats, within makeshift cardboard configurations, or in tents.
In alignment with the encampment resolution policy adopted by the Board of Supervisors, encampments located in the unincorporated areas of Fresno County are prioritized considering several factors, including: the size of the encampment; the encampment’s longevity; proximity to sensitive areas such as parks and schools, proximity to hazards like canals, highways, and railroads, and any associated public health, safety or sanitation issues that impact all Fresno County residents, regardless of housed status.
Yes, the County of Fresno Department of Behavioral Health is responsible for providing specialty mental health and substance use and prevention services throughout the county, inclusive of all of the cities. Whether unhoused or not, the County of Fresno is responsible for providing specialty mental health assessment and treatment services for those with severe needs and functional impairment.
While everyone is different and reasons for rejecting shelter vary, it is not uncommon for some people to reject services. Outreach workers cannot force people to accept shelter or housing, however, they have many tools to help motivate and encourage people to engage with services, the most important of which is building a strong and trusting relationship. Individuals may choose to not go into shelter for a number of reasons including: