Topic
Homelessness
Newport Beach's homeless count has been a recurring topic in local reporting and campaign messaging. This page tracks the City's and County's published data over time, alongside claims made publicly by candidates and officials, each labeled by how well it's sourced.
Three different counts, three different methodologies
Public conversation often mixes three figures that are not directly comparable:
- Orange County Point-in-Time (PIT) Count — a single-night, once-a-year federally required count conducted countywide.
- City Homeless Data Dashboard — a rolling monthly average published by the City, not a single-day count.
- PATH annual outreach census — a count of individuals contacted by the City's contracted outreach team over the year.
Comparing a single-night PIT number to a monthly average, or either to a year-long outreach census, can produce misleading trends. The timeline below is grouped so each methodology can be tracked on its own terms.
Five-year data timeline
2022
96 individuals
Orange County Point-in-Time Count[1]
CONFIRMEDCounty PIT Count results2023
70 individuals
PATH annual outreach census[2]
CONFIRMEDCity news releaseLate 2024
11 individuals
PATH annual outreach census[3]
CONFIRMEDCity news release + Voice of OC2024
71 individuals
Orange County Point-in-Time Count[4]
CONFIRMEDCounty PIT Count resultsQ1 2025 (Jan–Mar)
Average of 21
City Homeless Data Dashboard[5]
The City's dashboard reports a monthly average rather than a single-day count, so this figure isn't directly comparable to a PIT number.
CONFIRMEDCity dashboard PDFCurrent
Not yet confirmed
Pending — City Public Records Act request outstanding[6]
The City's dashboard webpage currently displays a mismatched label — a '2026 Q1' image alongside a linked PDF dated 'Q1 2025'. A PRA request has been submitted to confirm the most recent figure.
UNCONFIRMEDsite screenshot; request pending
Claim Check
Claim
“We had like 96 homeless people and by the end of his term with the help of the city council with the help of city council and police and everything there was 1.”
What the published data shows
The figure of 96 aligns with Orange County's 2022 Point-in-Time Count.[1] However, no City or County record supports a citywide homeless count of 1.
The most recent verified figures are:
- 2024 Orange County Point-in-Time Count: 71[4]
- City's Q1 2025 Homeless Data Dashboard: average count of 21[5]
- PATH's 2024 outreach census (lowest published figure from any source): 11[3]
A Public Records Act request has been submitted to the City to confirm the most current figure, since the City's dashboard webpage shows a labeling discrepancy (image labeled “2026 Q1” alongside a PDF dated “Q1 2025”).[6] Joe Stapleton's campaign was contacted for comment on the source of the “1” figure.
Candidate positions on homelessness
The four seats up on November 3, 2026. Where no public position was found, the field reads “Not stated” — never inferred.
Joe Stapleton
- Stated position on the anti-camping ordinance
- Not stated
- Stated position on shelter / housing funding
- Not stated
- Homelessness-related numeric claims made publicly
- In a recorded interview, political consultant Alexandra Taylor (ATeam Strategies + Relations), representing Stapleton, stated the homeless count “dropped from 96 to 1” during his time on Council. See the Claim Check below for the exact quote and fact check.[7]STATEDconsultant statement in recorded interview
Erik Weigand
- Stated position on the anti-camping ordinance
- Not stated
- Stated position on shelter / housing funding
- Not stated
- Homelessness-related numeric claims made publicly
- Not stated
Robyn Grant
- Stated position on the anti-camping ordinance
- Not stated
- Stated position on shelter / housing funding
- Not stated
- Homelessness-related numeric claims made publicly
- Not stated
Lauren Kleiman
- Stated position on the anti-camping ordinance
- Not stated
- Stated position on shelter / housing funding
- Not stated
- Homelessness-related numeric claims made publicly
- Not stated
Nonpartisan framing
This site does not endorse any candidate, party, or position. Where a candidate or their representative has made a public numeric claim, this page compares that claim to the underlying published data and labels the match — or mismatch — accordingly.
Notes & Sources
Numbered references for the claims above. Numbering restarts on each page.
- [1]
Orange County 2022 Point-in-Time Count — Newport Beach figure
The 2022 Orange County Point-in-Time (PIT) Count figure for Newport Beach of 96 individuals experiencing homelessness, as reported by Patch, citing the County's report. Note: the County's own press release states countywide totals only and does not break out city-level figures directly.
- [2]
City of Newport Beach — PATH outreach news release (2023 reference)
City news release referencing the 2023 PATH annual outreach census figure of 70 individuals experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach, cited when reporting the subsequent count.
- [3]
City of Newport Beach news release + Voice of OC coverage (late 2024)
The late-2024 PATH annual outreach census figure of 11 individuals experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach.
- [4]
Orange County 2024 Point-in-Time Count — Newport Beach figure
The 2024 Orange County Point-in-Time Count figure for Newport Beach of 71 individuals experiencing homelessness, as reported by Patch, citing the County's report. Note: the County's own press release states countywide totals only and does not break out city-level figures directly.
- [5]
City of Newport Beach — Homeless Data Dashboard (Q1 2025 PDF)
The City's Homeless Data Dashboard reporting an average count of 21 individuals across January–March 2025.
- [6]
City of Newport Beach — Homeless Data Dashboard webpage (site screenshot, July 2026)
The City's public dashboard page currently displays a mismatched label — a '2026 Q1' image alongside a linked PDF dated 'Q1 2025'. A California Public Records Act request has been submitted to confirm the most recent figure; citation pending City response.
- [7]
Alexandra Taylor, interview, approx. 0:03–0:12. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da_3MXPB4pD/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== — Accessed July 21, 2026
The recorded statement by political consultant Alexandra Taylor (ATeam Strategies + Relations), representing City Council candidate Joe Stapleton, that the homeless count dropped from 96 to 1 during his time on Council.
- [8]
Orange County 2026 Point-in-Time Count — countywide results
The County's 2026 PIT Count, released May 2026, found a 13.7% decrease in countywide homelessness compared to 2024. A Newport Beach-specific breakdown was not available in the initial release; check for an updated city-level report.