Growing Homeless Population

Homelessness remains a challenge across the nation, but Victorville is making measurable progress.

Nationally, the 2024 Point-in-Time Count recorded 771,480 people experiencing homelessness—the highest number ever reported. In California, which accounts for nearly 30% of the nation’s homeless population and half of the nation’s unsheltered population, the statewide crisis continues to grow.

In San Bernardino County, however, the 2025 Homeless Count identified 3,821 individuals, representing a 10.2% decrease from 2024. This marks the first countywide decline since 2018 and reflects expanded outreach, new shelter capacity, and stronger partnerships.

For Victorville, the results are especially encouraging: the City recorded 448 individuals in 2025, a 27% reduction from 2024. This progress highlights the impact of local initiatives such as the Victorville Wellness Center, expanded rapid rehousing programs, and the City’s partnerships with regional service providers.

Who Experiences Homelessness

Homelessness can impact anyone facing a sudden crisis such as job loss, illness, or family breakdown. Families with children are particularly vulnerable. In fact, the 2024 AHAR reported a 39% national increase in family homelessness, showing how rising rents and inflation are straining households.

In Victorville, the City and its partners are responding with family-centered services, connecting parents and children to stable housing, health care, and support programs designed to restore stability and independence.

What is Chronic Homelessness

Chronic homelessness refers to individuals who have been homeless for at least a year or repeatedly over three years while living with a disabling condition. Nationwide, one in three homeless adults in 2024 (152,585 people) fell into this category, the highest on record.

In San Bernardino County, chronic homelessness remains significant, but Victorville’s Wellness Center model is providing new hope. By combining interim housing with wraparound behavioral health, medical respite, and employment services, the City is building a pathway out of chronic homelessness.

Changing Political Climate 

Historically, the political landscape pushed cities to address homelessness largely on their own, often without adequate funding or resources. Under the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal’s Martin v. Boise ruling, cities were limited in their ability to enforce anti-camping ordinances unless they could demonstrate sufficient, low-barrier shelter capacity for those experiencing homelessness.

More recently, the political climate has shifted. In 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Grants Pass v. Johnson decision gave cities broader authority to enforce anti-camping ordinances, overturning Martin v. Boise. Building on that, Governor Newsom issued a 2025 executive order and model ordinance urging California cities to address encampments with “urgency and dignity,” supported by significant new state investments in housing and mental health treatment.

At the federal level, President Trump’s July 2025 executive order directed a nationwide crackdown on encampments, emphasizing enforcement and institutional placements over voluntary, housing-first solutions.

Together, these shifts highlight the ongoing tension between enforcement-driven strategies and service-based, housing-focused approaches, placing cities like Victorville at the forefront of balancing compassion with compliance.

Important Facts

• Over 300 individuals were sheltered in Victorville during the 2025 count, thanks to expanded shelter capacity and rapid rehousing efforts.
• Countywide homelessness declined for the first time in seven years, down 10.2% between 2024 and 2025.
• Eight cities, including Victorville, account for more than 80% of the County’s homeless population—underscoring Victorville’s role as a central partner in regional solutions.
• Victorville Wellness Center continues to serve as a model of innovative care, combining housing with medical and behavioral health support.
• Victorville’s homeless population decreased 27% between 2024 and 2025, reflecting new local resources and services.
• Victorville’s unsheltered population decreased over 50% between 2024 and 2025, reflecting a model that is working.
• Renters in San Bernardino County now need to earn $37.17 per hour, approximately 2.3 times the state minimum wage, to afford the average monthly rent of $1,933. 
• As of 2024, 58,846 low-income renter households in San Bernardino County do not have access to an affordable home.