Houston, Texas (June 18, 2024) — The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County’s 2024 Point-in-Time Count & Survey of People Experiencing Homelessness found a total of 3,280 people experiencing homelessness on the night of Jan. 22, 2024, in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties, Texas. The results reflect a 17% decrease in overall homelessness and a 33% decrease in unsheltered homelessness in the area since 2020, the last count conducted prior to the pandemic. Overall, the region has seen more than a 60% reduction in homelessness since 2011.

However, advocates were quick to note that Houston’s progress is in peril. A new source of sustainable, annual funding must be quickly identified to replace expiring federal COVID relief funding that has bolstered the system in recent years.

The Coalition for the Homeless (CFTH), a 501c3, coordinates the annual “PIT Count” on behalf of the local homeless response system, The Way Home. This annual count and survey helps to identify homelessness trends over time and gives insight into the effectiveness of our community’s housing programs and homeless services.

This year, the PIT Count found 1,107 people living unsheltered, a decrease of 12% since 2023. Meanwhile, the 2024 PIT Count found 2,173 people staying in shelter, an increase of 7% over 2023. 

The increase in sheltered homelessness is likely due to shelter capacity gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, the decrease in the unsheltered number could be attributed to The Way Home partners working together to rapidly expand access to housing and homelessness diversion services using time-limited City of Houston and Harris County federal pandemic resources, coupled with an effective encampment decommissioning strategy.

“At a time when rates of homelessness are rising nationwide, we are proud our numbers in Houston have not grown,” said Kelly Young, president & CEO of CFTH. “However, next year we cannot count on continued stabilization. With federal COVID relief funds expiring soon, we urgently need to identify new and sustainable sources of funding for our homeless response system.”

According to CFTH, it will take at least $50 million per year in funding — beyond the annual HUD funding — to maintain the status quo after pandemic relief dollars run out. Without the additional funding, CFTH predicts that The Way Home’s ability to house people experiencing homelessness will be reduced by about 1/3 annually and that homelessness could increase by 60% (approximately 5,200 individuals) by the end of 2026.

“As we recognize our positive impact working with the homeless population, we must recognize we have much work to do,” said Houston Mayor John Whitmire. “With homelessness, we have come a long way, but we have a long way to go. Let’s not rest until we don’t have a homeless population. Let’s go to work!”

“We want to thank the Coalition for the Homeless and the partners of The Way Home for all they have done to create an efficient homeless response system. Houston/Harris County continues to gain national attention as a model for addressing homelessness and we are so proud of the work we have collaboratively done to reduce homelessness by more than 60% since 2011,” said Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis. “Every year, the Point-In-Time count reminds us of the work to be done and the commitment we must make to increase access to affordable housing through a Housing First model. We will continue the work until everyone has a safe place to call home.”

“We continue to show success. After several years of huge reductions, the number of people living unsheltered in the region has stayed at historic lows. The joint investments by Harris County and the City of Houston are working, but as COVID relief funds run out, we must find a way to maintain the program financially,” said Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia. “That’s why I have been in D.C. advocating to federal agencies about the need to fund this successful program that has become a model across the nation, as well as making this a priority discussion item with Mayor John Whitmire in his first week in office.”

“The data collected in this year’s Point-In-Time Count reflect progress in our efforts to eradicate homelessness,” said Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones. “As The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County moves toward the next phase of the Homeless Response System, I look forward to the implementation of a data-driven approach to develop additional programs to support our most vulnerable citizens. I am committed to working with my colleagues on Commissioners Court to find ways to continue building on this critical work.”

Other key findings from the 2024 Point-in-Time Count & Survey

• 45% of unsheltered persons were homeless for the first time (up from 42% in 2023).
• 32% of unsheltered persons (a plurality) cited the loss of a job or income as the primary cause of their homelessness.
• People who are Black or African American are disproportionately represented; they make up 62% of the population experiencing homelessness in the region but only 21% of the total population of Harris County.
• 78% of unsheltered persons are male.
• 89% of unsheltered persons first fell into homelessness in Houston.
• More than 9,700 people were living in a housing program of The Way Home on the night of Jan. 22, 2024.
• More than 32,000 people have been placed in permanent housing (Permanent Supportive Housing or Rapid Re-Housing) through The Way Home since 2012.