The count may not be scientifically accurate, but it shows a promising trend that the number of homeless people in Marin is shrinking.

That premise is based on a federally required countywide headcount conducted in January. The 1,090 people in Marin found to be homeless is still too many, but a reduced number compared to the 2022 count is a sign that “Housing First” initiatives to get homeless into permanent housing may be working.

The progress is slow, hampered by creating subsidized housing needed to get homeless people off the streets, out of encampments and reversing the cycle that’s keeping them in perilous living conditions.

Even a 2.8% reduction is a sign of progress, although still frustrating for those who are living in tents and those who are troubled by the sight of encampments — large and small, sanctioned or unauthorized — in their parks, along their roads and on other public lands.

The reduction is a sign that new housing for the homeless, among them Homeward Bound’s new apartments for veterans and new supportive housing that’s opened in Larkspur, Corte Madera and San Rafael are making a difference. More housing is underway, but not enough to put sturdy roofs over the heads of 1,090 people.

While that number is slowly sinking in Marin, neighboring counties saw increases. Bay Area-wide, January’s count showed a 6% increase, raising the number of homeless in the nine counties to nearly 40,000 people.

This is why there’s been such controversy over the state’s spending of billions of dollars on the problem. The spending has drawn criticism — even within the state government — that there has been lack of accountability over how that money has been spent and its effect in getting people off the streets.

In Marin, that funding has been a big part of local initiatives and strategies to get people into housing.

Still, Gov. Gavin Newsom has stressed California’s numbers, while increasing, have been slower than increases recorded in 40 other states, among those, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts.

“We’re making progress, but we have to continue to do more,” Newsom said in a recent news conference.

California, including Marin, needs to do more. But that help needs to be results-driven and those results have to include housing that’s affordable, secure and healthful.

The tent complex recently erected by the city of San Rafael, with the help of state funding, is designed to be a safe transition to supportive housing. The county’s three-year initiative to end the large RV encampment along Novato’s Binford Road is showing slow progress toward moving people into housing.

There are many causes that leave people homeless. One of the biggest ones is the lack of affordable housing. As home prices and rents rise, more people are unable to keep up. Building housing that they can afford takes time and money, especially in our high-priced county. Paychecks and welfare checks just don’t keep up with the costs.

By the last count, there are 1,090 reasons why finding remedies for homelessness in Marin needs to continue to be a local priority. Not because encampments have become more visible, but because the health and safety of all should be a community priority.

Marin’s January count is a small, but promising sign that some people are getting the helping hand they need. It is also a sign that we need to do more.