Throughout 2024, 1,047 people experienced homelessness in Pasadena, underscoring the ongoing impact of the regional housing crisis and the limited availability of affordable housing. Three in four people experiencing homelessness were single adults without children, and 79% of people had one or more disabilities.
ANNUAL
COUNT
Exits to Permanent Housing Hold Steady
Over the past three years, Pasadena has helped more than 1,000 people exit homelessness to permanent housing. In 2024, 327 people exited homelessness into permanent housing. These placements are essential to reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness and achieving long-term goals.
Rising Inflows to Homelessness
Despite these placements, the number of people entering homelessness continues to grow. More people are becoming homeless, either for the first time or returning after a previous episode, even as permanent housing placements remain steady. Permanent housing placements matter, but reducing homelessness also depends on addressing system inflows.
ANNUAL COUNT OVERVIEW.
Unlike the Point In Time Count, which captures a one-night snapshot, the Annual Count includes every person who experienced homelessness at any time during the year. This includes people who:
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Were homeless for only a short period
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Moved in and out of homelessness more than once
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Were housed again by the time of the Point In Time Count
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The Annual Count offers a more complete view of the scale and flow of homelessness, and is crucial for understanding how many people the system serves.
METHODOLOGY.
The Annual Count includes people served by all Pasadena-based programs that support individuals experiencing homelessness. These include:
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Emergency shelters, including motel vouchers, and transitional housing
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Permanent housing programs like supportive housing and rapid rehousing
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Street outreach teams
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Coordinated entry and housing navigation services
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Support service programs serving people without housing
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Only people who met the federal definition of literally homeless and were served by Pasadena-based programs in 2024 were included. Data was gathered from the city's primary homeless services database and other secure systems used by specialized providers, such as those serving survivors of domestic violence.
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The data analysis for the Annual Count is conducted by CityWise, Pasadena’s homelessness data and policy evaluation partner. CityWise ensures consistency in methodology and supports accurate year-over-year comparisons.
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To ensure accuracy:
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Each person was counted only once, even if they used multiple programs or had more than one episode of homelessness
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People whose records showed they were housed throughout the year, living outside Pasadena, or not literally homeless were excluded
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Programs serving a broader area were filtered to include only Pasadena-based participants
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The result is a comprehensive, unduplicated count of everyone who experienced homelessness in Pasadena over the course of 2024.
LIMITATIONS OF RESULTS.
While more comprehensive than the Point In Time Count, the Annual Count still depends on service access and data quality. Individuals who never engage with shelters or service providers may not be counted, and data limitations can affect accuracy. However, when paired with the Point In Time Count, the Annual Count paints a fuller picture of local housing instability and helps track changes over time.