The number of people experiencing homelessness in Hayward is down 21 percent from two years ago, according to findings of the latest Point in Time Count of homelessness in Alameda County.
The count, which was conducted Jan. 22, 2026, recorded a total of 404 people who were unsheltered or staying in an emergency or transitional housing setting in Hayward, down by 108, or 21 percent, from a total of 512 on Jan. 25, 2024.
“All in all, the 2026 Point in Time Count tells us that what Hayward is doing to respond to the homelessness crisis is working, and that we can keep making progress by staying the course,” Hayward Mayor Mark Salinas said.
Elsewhere in central Alameda County, the number of people found to be experiencing homelessness was up slightly from two years ago in neighboring unincorporated areas of Alameda County and San Leandro while Union City also recorded a significant decline, according to the findings.
Countywide, the population of people experiencing homelessness was down 13 percent compared to 2024.
In 2019, the City of Hayward declared a homelessness emergency and moved rapidly to establish a housing Navigation Center to help people off the streets and out of homeless encampments. Since opening in November of that year, the Center has moved 406 people, or 67 percent of individuals served, into a permanent home or other form of supportive and stable housing.
In 2021, the Hayward City Council adopted the City’s Let’s House Hayward strategic plan for ending homelessness with a focus on partnering with other local agencies and leveraging state and regional funding to fill additional service gaps and create a compassionate, coordinated and comprehensive response to homelessness while protecting public safety.
Examples of the progress include the 2021 launch of HEART, an initiative that incorporates mental health services in 911 responses to people experiencing homelessness who are in crisis as well as linkage team that connects people who are unhoused and unsheltered to appropriate local and county-led services.
In 2023, the City celebrated the opening of Depot Community Apartments, a new residence of 125 micro units with wrap-around services at 2595 Depot Road for individuals and two-person households who were either experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.
That same year, the City, along with partners Union City and nonprofit Bay Area Community Services (BACS), secured a $9.6 million state grant for a new initiative to purchase and operate single-family homes for people experiencing homelessness.
Earlier this year, non-profit BACS began bringing online its Regis Village project. Located the site of the former St. Regis Retirement Center in downtown Hayward, Regis Village is the future home of the Hayward Navigation Center and already is adding to the City’s inventory of permanent supportive housing for unhoused individuals with medical needs and bridge or transitional housing for individuals with behavior health challenges.
To learn more about how Hayward and its community partners are responding to homelessness, check out the Let’s House Hayward! Strategic Plan to Reduce Homelessness here on the City of Hayward website.
How to access HEART:
Call 911 if a person is a potential danger to themselves or others OR if they need medical attention. The appropriate team will be dispatched.
Call LINK at (510) 293-7048 if a person needs mental health or other social services and is not in immediate danger or in need of medical attention. This phone line is monitored 24/7 by trained counselors.
