OC homeless deaths in 2026 on pace for lowest toll since 2020

Twenty-seven people died without stable housing in Orange County during March 2026, bringing the year's death toll to 75 — the lowest count at this point in any year since 2020, according to Voice of OC.

The Orange County Coroner's Office figures mark a steep drop from 2023 — the worst year on record — when roughly 150 people had died by the same point, double the current pace. A Fullerton pastor who has tracked the data for years says the county still lacks a clear accounting of what is driving the decline.

The 2026 year-to-date total of 75 deaths stands slightly above 2020's count of 66 at the same point — the previous low on record — but well below every intervening year, with 2023 reaching approximately 150 deaths, Voice of OC reported.

Deaths in March were recorded across more than a dozen Orange County cities, including Stanton, Lake Forest, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Buena Park, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine, Newport Beach and Fountain Valley, among others, according to Voice of OC. One death from Feb. 27 was also included in the monthly tally.

Fr. Dennis Kriz, pastor of St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in Fullerton, tracks homeless deaths in Orange County monthly and publishes the figures through Voice of OC. He called the trend encouraging but said more work lies ahead. "Things appear to be getting better, but we need to see clearly what work still remains," Kriz said.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department commissioned a study covering 2023 through 2025 to examine the causes of homeless deaths in the county, Voice of OC reported. Three reports from that research are publicly available through the Coroner's Office.

Despite the improving numbers, Kriz said a critical gap remains. "A 'new normal' appears to be being established, though we still do not officially know what the predominant causes of death are, so that we can work to lower the death toll even further," he said.

Kriz called for updated analysis of the county's homeless death data to reflect the recent downward trend, saying that identifying the predominant causes of death is essential to reducing the toll further. The three existing Coroner's Office reports cover the 2023–2025 period — the county's worst years on record.