Homelessness in some parts of the Inland Empire declined this year, according to an annual survey that estimates the number of people living in shelters or on the street.

The 2025 homelessness “point-in-time” count marks the first drop in San Bernardino County’s homelessness in years. Before then the homeless population had risen steadily, doubling between 2018 and 2024.

San Bernardino reported an overall 10% drop in the number of homeless people counted compared to last year, driven by a 14% decline in people living outside. Riverside County reported that homelessness increased by 7%, with more people in shelters but fewer living on the street.

The count takes place on a single night in January, when public officials and volunteers search their region to see how many homeless people they find. The counts include people staying in private or public shelters or using hotel vouchers, whom they classify as “sheltered,” as well as those living on the street, who are counted as “unsheltered.”

The data helps cities and counties estimate their total homeless populations and plan for services, including emergency shelters and transitional or permanent housing.

Throughout California, other regions’ point-in-time counts showed mixed results. San Diego reported a 7% drop in homelessness, with big drops in unsheltered families and veterans.  But the Fresno/Madera count in the Central Valley found a 3% increase in homelessness since 2023, with a 10% jump in unsheltered homelessness.

California had the highest homeless population in the nation last year, but it also saw slower growth in homelessness, CalMatters’ Marissa Kendall reported. Homelessness grew 3% to more than 187,000 people in California last year, compared to 18% growth nationwide.

In San Bernardino County, the annual count conducted on Jan. 23 found 3,821 homeless adults and children, down by 434 from last year. That was due to a drop in homeless people living on streets or in other public places. 

Marcus Dillard, chief of homeless services, said in a statement that the county secured $22 million for permanent housing and other support for people experiencing homelessness last year.

“The county appreciates the funding that has been allocated to support local governments providing support and services for people experiencing homelessness,” he said.

County Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., said in a statement he is encouraged by the data ”because it shows that our efforts are making a difference. Although our work is far from over, I’m glad to see progress in reducing homelessness.”

But there were still hotspots of homelessness, including three of the county’s biggest cities. 

The city of San Bernardino counted 1,535 homeless people — the highest number in the county — followed by Victorville with 448 and Fontana with 364.

In Riverside County, total homeless numbers rose by 7% since 2023, the last time officials conducted the count. That might sound like bad news, but homelessness had climbed 12% in 2023 and 15% in 2022, which means the growth in homelessness has slowed over the last few years.

Even so, the number of homeless people in Riverside County shelters rose sharply from 1,284 in 2023 to 2,012 this year, as the county increased shelter capacity by 11%, according to the point-in-time count. But that was offset by a 19% decrease in people living on the streets, dropping from 2,441 two years ago to 1,978 this year.

The city of Riverside had the county's biggest homeless population, with 1,087 people counted this year. The count found 509 homeless people living in Indio and 322 in Hemet.

Water cascaded into ponds at the Salton Sea last month, to build new wetlands that will provide fish and bird habitat and suppress dust that threatens local communities, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The flooding kicked off the first 2,000 acres of the Species Conservation Habitat Project, part of California’s plan for improving conditions at the state’s largest lake. It’s part of a sweeping effort to restore the shrinking sea, which supports some 400 bird species and other wildlife. 

This year the state created the Salton Sea Conservancy to manage habitat restoration along the shores of the sea.

Civil rights groups have sued to challenge Riverside County’s bail system, calling for an end to its cash bail process, which they said punishes those too poor to pay for their release, the Press-Enterprise reported.

The complaint, by two legal advocacy organizations and a group of law firms, was filed on behalf of two incarcerated people and a Riverside reverend and a rabbi. It cites a 2021 California Supreme Court decision that ruled it is unconstitutional to jail someone solely for their inability to pay bail and that criminal justice systems should use less restrictive alternatives. 

Advocates have argued that the Riverside County jail system is not safe for inmates. Care First California analyzed records from the Attorney General’s Office and found Riverside and San Bernardino Counties account for a disproportionate number of jail deaths in California.

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