The number of people experiencing homelessness in Malibu fell to 44 in 2026, marking the fifth consecutive year of decline and reflecting the coastal city's persistent focus on outreach and housing placement, according to preliminary data released by the city this week.
The 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count found 33 individuals and 11 vehicles including cars, vans and RVs within Malibu city limits during the three-night census conducted Jan. 20-22. The 2026 count of 44 represents a continued drop from 46 people counted in 2025 and 69 in 2024.
"While even one person experiencing homelessness is too many, Malibu's continued decline shows that the City's proactive approach focusing on outreach, housing placement, and coordinated encampment response, works," Mayor Marianne Riggins said. "This progress is the result of years of consistent effort, strong partnerships, and a shared commitment to helping people exit homelessness while protecting public safety and our environment."
Malibu's homeless population peaked at 239 in 2020 and has declined steadily since. The city counted 161 people experiencing homelessness in 2016, the first year it began tracking such data. After rising to 178 in 2017, the count dropped to 155 in 2018 and 154 in 2019 before the 2020 spike. An informal count in 2021 found 157 people, followed by sharp decreases to 81 in 2022 and 71 in 2023.
City officials attribute the decline to the work of Malibu's Homeless Outreach Team, which has placed hundreds of people into permanent or interim housing or helped reunite them with family since beginning work in the city in 2017. The team placed 46 people in housing in 2025, 72 in 2024, 51 in 2023, 67 in 2022 and 22 in 2021.
The city contracts with The People Concern for homeless outreach services, a partnership that began in 2017 and expanded in 2020 to include a housing navigator. Malibu recently extended its contract with the organization through 2027.
Malibu also works with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and other agencies to clear encampments within city limits. The city removed 44 encampments in both 2025 and 2024, 29 in 2023, 41 in 2022 and 58 in 2021. People living in encampments receive advance notice, outreach services and shelter or housing options before sites are cleared and cleaned.
LAHSA announced several enhancements to the 2026 count, including refined digital mapping tools, expanded technical support staff and streamlined volunteer training. The agency assigned more staff to deployment sites for technical support and coordinated with Los Angeles County agencies for outreach in hard-to-reach areas.
The improvements came as the annual census faced increasing scrutiny over its reliability. A RAND study found Los Angeles' official count was 26% lower than a simultaneous professional count, widening to 32% in 2025. Technical errors have undermined confidence in recent years, including app crashes and login problems.
Malibu said their preliminary data came from a data dashboard available at the end of the count and may be revised after LAHSA completes its analysis.
LAHSA said it does not release the preliminary data to the public and cannot provide any totals for Santa Monica nor has the City of Santa Monica released any preliminary data. In last year’s count, Santa Monica recorded an increase of 5%, rising from 774 to 812. The growth was driven largely by car campers, with 21 more people living in vehicles for a total of 84. The number of people living in local shelters increased by 29 to 202, while four fewer people were found living outside, dropping that total to 475. The city also saw 10 fewer tents and camps.
Malibu's Homeless Outreach Team and community volunteers participated in the count, surveying census-designated areas within city limits to identify individuals, families, vehicles, tents and makeshift shelters.
Riggins thanked outreach workers, law enforcement partners, city staff and community volunteers for their dedication.