In a 2017 annual assessment conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, Alameda County’s homeless population ranks among the largest homeless communities in the nation.

The report found that Alameda County has an estimated homeless population of 5,629 people with a 68.6 percent unsheltered rate, giving it the fourth-highest unsheltered rate among the 50 most populated cities in the nation this year.

City spokesperson Matthai Chakko said the city has been trying to determine the best approach to addressing homelessness in Berkeley.

“(In) January 2016 we launched a new system in order to help people,” Chakko said. “We prioritize the people who are most in need: people who have (been) homeless for at least a year and/or suffer from a disability.”

Berkeley is the first city in Alameda County to implement this system, which has now become a model system for the county in order to address homelessness, according to Chakko. He added that the practice of prioritization is being adopted nationwide as a result of the city’s progress in alleviating the homelessness crisis.

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