Fremont Sees Modest Rise in Homelessness, Sustains Improvements Realized in 2024 and Urges Increased Regional Support
FREMONT, Calif. – May 19, 2026 – During the 2026 Homelessness Point in Time (PIT) Count, 852 individuals were identified as experiencing homelessness in Fremont.
The 2026 Alameda County Point in Time Count identified 852 unhoused individuals living in Fremont. This is compared to the 807 individuals recorded in the last count, which occurred in January of 2024. The 2026 numbers indicate regional stabilization and preservation in the progress made since the 2022 count, when 1,026 unhoused residents were counted. Detailed PIT Count data, including demographics, is expected to be released this summer.
“We are encouraged to have maintained relative stability in this last PIT count cycle, even as the City has operated under significant budgetary constraint,” stated City Manager Karena Shackelford. “Fremont’s overall commitment and maintenance of internal and external investments in the City’s Housing Navigation Center, Winter Relief, Keep Fremont Housed, local homelessness shelters, and Mobile Evaluation Team (MET) programs have allowed us to prevent substantial increases in homelessness, as prioritized in the City’s Homelessness Response Plan, adopted in 2024.”
The overarching goal of the Homelessness Response Plan is to stabilize the number of people experiencing homelessness in Fremont. The plan outlines strategies to prevent new community members from becoming homeless, while increasing the number of residents who gain new stable housing. While an additional 45 people represent a statistical increase since the 2022 count, the total number of people counted in South Alameda County (Fremont, Newark and Union City) decreased by 10.
“We are encouraged to see an overall reduction in the PIT Count for the South County region. The Tri-Cities have shared longstanding partnerships on this issue, where Fremont provides many services on the region’s behalf. To maintain this leadership role, we need additional regional investment,” indicated Mayor Raj Salwan. “This is critical if we are going to make real progress to reduce overall homelessness both in Fremont and in South County.”
In the South County region, longstanding partnerships allow for financial resources to be shared and services to be delivered across city boundaries, ensuring that unhoused residents have access to vital shelter, healthcare, and case management. These partnerships also help facilitate large encampment resolution. This includes recent efforts at Fremont’s Vallejo Mill Park and Isherwood Park, where all impacted individuals were offered shelter and transitional services. New investments, such as the upcoming Natalie’s Place shelter in South Fremont, will support similar efforts in the future.
The City of Fremont will continue to provide updates as new PIT Count data is released. To learn more about the City of Fremont’s Homelessness Response Efforts, including reports and data visit https://city.fremont.gov/homelessresponse.
The 2026 PIT Count took place on the morning of January 22, 2026, serving as a tally survey establishing a baseline estimate of how many individuals are unhoused at that specific point in time. This methodology is recognized as the most widely used homelessness census method in the United States. The City extends its appreciation to the 106 volunteers, most of whom participated for the first time, for their valuable contributions to this important effort.
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CONTACT :
Geneva Bosques
Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs
City of Fremont
510-284-4094
gbosques@fremont.gov
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