FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alexa Lewis-Rosenfeld, San Diego River Park Foundation, alexa@sandiegoriver.org, 619-307-0268
In the early dawn hours of April 10th and 11th, 2026, 49 community members came together from Ocean Beach to Santee along the San Diego River as part of The San Diego River Park Foundation’s Spring Homeless Census.
This spring’s census results were significant: 195 people were counted living unhoused in the San Diego Riverbed, compared to 252 people counted in April of 2025. This nearly 23% reduction in under one year is a strong indicator that coordinated, data-driven partnerships can lead to real change.
The census count was conducted by staff and volunteers from the San Diego River Park Foundation, PATH San Diego, East County Transitional Living Center, the City of San Diego Park Rangers, who surveyed 18 sections of the riverbed, 1000+ acres, to document the number of people experiencing homelessness in this uniquely vulnerable environment.
While SDRPF is a non-traditional partner in homelessness work, the organization has become a leader within the environmental sector by ensuring that people living in the riverbed—often hidden from view in dense vegetation—are counted.
Sarah Hutmacher, SDRPF’s Chief Operating Officer reflects “We have been helping the Regional Task Force on Homelessness with Winter Point in Time Count for 14 years, but we know from experience that the riverbed is flooded and especially inhospitable in the winter, leading to lower counts than we might see the rest of the year. It’s critical to have an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the total number of people in need during the rest of the year. Good data helps bring resources to reach this especially vulnerable population.”
SDRPF organizes additional census events in the riverbed to supplement the winter count, conducting complete riverbed census each fall, winter and spring. In addition, its River Assessment Field Team surveys the riverbed twice weekly year-round, tracking the number and locations of active encampments. This riverbed encampment data was critical in securing a $17M State Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF) grant in 2023 to launch an unprecedented, data-driven coordinated outreach effort. Based on this census result, this model appears to be demonstrating measurable results.
The ERF grant funded dedicated outreach efforts between SDRPF, PATH San Diego, the City and County of San Diego, and the City of Santee have resulted in over 300 people living unhoused in the riverbed moving safe permanent housing, ending their cycle of homelessness.
Despite this incredible success, there are still too many people living in the riverbed and the multi-partner strategic effort needs to continue. Hutmacher says, “These census teams are a critical piece of this puzzle. With 192 people still living in areas not fit for habitation, without proper sanitation and vulnerable to life threatening environmental hazards, we have more to do. But the partnerships with PATH San Diego, City of San Diego, City of Santee, the County, and others have laid an important pathway to ending homelessness in the riverbed.”
SDRPF extends a heartfelt thanks to County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe’s office for its generous grant support for field surveys and flood warnings for people living in the riverbed.
SDRPF celebrates and rejoices in the many people who have been helped into housing and pledges to continue working with its invaluable civic, homeless outreach, and nonprofit partners until everyone living unhoused in the riverbed has a safe and better place to call home.
The SDRPF invites community members to join the effort to end homelessness in the riverbed by volunteering or donating to sustain this work. Learn more and get involved at sandiegoriver.org/discover/homelessness.
Together, data, compassion, and collaboration are making the San Diego Riverbed safer—for both people and the river itself.
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About the San Diego River Park Foundation: SDRPF’s mission is to engage and inspire people to reimagine the San Diego River as a natural, cultural and recreational treasure where nature thrives and everyone can enjoy a nature connection. The River Park Foundation is a non-profit, community-based organization founded in 2001.