Board of Supervisors Vice Chair and Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. (right) engages with a homeless individual during the 2026 Point-in-Time Count. (Courtesy photo)
San Bernardino County and the San Bernardino City and County Continuum of Care received $10 million in HHAP Round 6 funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
The award is part of $578.9 million in HHAP Round 6 funding distributed across 23 regions statewide.
Funding will support the conversion of underutilized buildings into permanent housing, as well as street outreach, case management, rental assistance, security deposits and harm reduction services.
The 2025 Point-in-Time Count found 3,821 people experiencing homelessness in San Bernardino County — a 10.2 percent decrease from 2024.
The city of San Bernardino bucked the county trend: 1,535 people were counted as homeless in the city, an 8 percent increase from 1,417 in 2024.
The county and its regional Continuum of Care, chaired by Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., submitted a joint application for the funding.
Specific program allocations and a spending timeline have not yet been announced.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — San Bernardino County and its regional homelessness response network, including the city of San Bernardino, will receive $10 million in new state funding to expand housing and services for people experiencing homelessness, the county announced March 19.
The funding comes from the sixth round of California’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program, or HHAP, and was awarded to the county and the San Bernardino City and County Continuum of Care, a regional partnership of local governments, service providers and nonprofits.
County officials said the funds will be used to convert underutilized buildings and interim housing into permanent housing, while also supporting services such as street outreach, case management, housing navigation, rental assistance and security deposits.
“This funding is an important investment in our comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness,” said Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., vice chair of the Board of Supervisors and chair of the Continuum of Care board. “It will expand permanent housing for people who need it most while also strengthening prevention efforts so fewer people fall into homelessness.”
The Continuum of Care, or CoC, is a federally recognized regional body that coordinates homelessness services across the county, including cities such as Redlands. San Bernardino County and the CoC submitted a joint application for the funding.
Marcus Dillard, chief of the county’s Office of Homeless Services, said the collaborative approach was key to securing the grant.
“This partnership allows us to make a real difference in providing housing and support to San Bernardino County’s most vulnerable residents,” Dillard said.
County sees mixed trends in homelessness
The new funding comes as San Bernardino County reports a decline in overall homelessness, while some cities continue to see increases.
According to the county’s 2025 Point-in-Time Count, homelessness decreased by 10.2 percent compared with the previous year. County officials attributed the drop to expanded outreach and increased state and federal funding.
However, data from the city of San Bernardino shows a different trend: homelessness within city limits rose 8 percent, increasing from 1,417 people in 2024 to 1,535 in 2025 — the highest total of any city in the county.
San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran, whose office participated in community meetings that helped shape the grant application, said the funding would benefit residents across the city.
“These funds will directly improve lives across our community and help more families achieve stability,” Tran said. “The city of San Bernardino is proud to be a partner with the county and local organizations on this effort.”
Other cities, including Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, also saw increases, though at much smaller scales, with about 300 and 120 people experiencing homelessness, respectively.
The 2026 Point-in-Time Count results are expected to be released in the spring, typically in May, and will provide an updated snapshot of homelessness across the region.
Redlands secures separate funding
Unlike some state or federal grants, HHAP funding is designed to support regional coordination and is allocated to counties, large cities and Continuums of Care, which work together to address homelessness at a regional level.
As a result, smaller cities such as Redlands do not typically receive direct allocations but instead benefit through countywide programs coordinated by the Continuum of Care.
While HHAP funding is distributed regionally, the city of Redlands has also secured its own homelessness funding through separate programs.
Since 2022, the city has received over $40 million in grants to support their homelessness initiatives, including a $30 million Homekey grant for the Step Up supportive housing project and $9.8 million across 2023 and 2024 to address encampments.
In December 2025, Redlands received a $2 million state grant to expand homeless housing and job programs. City officials said the Proposition 47 funding will support transitional housing, employment services and case management aimed at helping people move into stable housing.
The number of people experiencing homelessness in Redlands dropped 31 percent in 2025, according to data from the Point-in-Time Count.
The local investment complements countywide efforts but operates independently of HHAP allocations.
Continued reliance on state funding
Officials said continued state investment will be critical to sustaining progress.
CoC Vice Chair Shanikqua “Shaq” Freeman said the funding reflects strong regional collaboration.
“These resources will help residents get the support they need and make meaningful progress toward independence,” Freeman said.
The $10 million is part of $578.9 million in HHAP Round 6 awards the California Department of Housing and Community Development has distributed across 23 regions statewide. The program was launched under Gov. Gavin Newsom and ties funding to accountability measures, including requirements that recipient regions maintain compliant housing elements and demonstrate measurable progress toward reducing homelessness.
More information about the county’s homelessness programs is available at sbchp.sbcounty.gov.
Based on a March 19, 2026, news release from San Bernardino County.
A former broadcast news producer, Stephanie launched CFR in 2023. Originally from Michigan, she’s made Redlands home with her husband and three kids. When she’s not reporting, she’s problem-solving at the climbing gym or trying new local restaurants.
