2026 Point-in-Time Count & Survey of People Experiencing Homelessness
The Point-in-Time (“PIT”) Count & Survey is a federally mandated census of people experiencing homelessness — both sheltered and unsheltered — on a single night each January.
This annual snapshot tracks trends over time, shows where and how people are experiencing homelessness, and informs strategies to strengthen our homeless response system.
At a glance
A total of 3,325 sheltered and unsheltered individuals were counted as experiencing homelessness during the 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties.
Age:
The unsheltered population is predominantly middle-aged, with nearly 75% aged 35–64.
Sheltered individuals tend to be younger, with 26.2% under age 18, reflecting a significant presence of families with children in shelters.
Race and Ethnicity:
Black individuals remain significantly overrepresented, comprising 57.9% of the total homeless population despite making up a much smaller share of the general regional population.
White individuals made up 28.1%, and Hispanic individuals accounted for 11.9% of the total count.
Gender:
Men made up 76.8% of the unsheltered population, compared to an almost even gender split among sheltered individuals.
Overall, men comprised 60.3% of the total homeless population.
Causes of Homelessness:
Family conflict, lack of income, and job loss were the most commonly cited causes. Approximately 40% reported this as their first experience of homelessness, while many had repeated episodes.
Additionally, the vast majority (89%) of individuals entered homelessness while residing in the Houston area.
Who’s Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness in Houston?
40.4%
are experiencing homelessness for the first time
45.8%
reported a substance use disorder (includes alcohol, drug, or both)
55.8%
reported having a mental health disorder
Next Phase of the Homeless Response System
Permanent Supportive Housing
Our homeless response system has successfully helped thousands of people exit chronic homelessness through Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH).
Now, it’s clear that we must go further.
Homelessness varies widely, and a one-size-fits-all approach will not meet the scale of need.
With COVID-era funding ending and federal resources uncertain, we are working with partners to design a sustainable system that prevents homelessness whenever possible and resolves it quickly when it occurs.
End Street Homelessness Action Plan
Through the End Street Homelessness Action Plan, we are advancing strategies to reach Equilibrium, meaning that no one has to sleep outside while waiting for housing. It also means that we can resolve someone’s homelessness within 90 days.
The findings of this year’s PIT Count underscore the need for several key components of the Action Plan, a partnership between CFTH, the partners of The Way Home, City of Houston, Harris County, Downtown Houston+, and The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD.
| 2025 Pit Count Finding | 2025 Pit Count Finding |
|---|---|
| “A growing share of the region’s homeless population is living without shelter.” | Highlights the need to expand low-barrier shelter linked to housing solutions and create more “front doors” to the homeless response system. |
| “Just under half (48.5%) of individuals were matched to an HMIS record, while 51.5% had no documented service history in the system.” | Highlights the need to increase outreach capacity across the region, including in unincorporated areas. |
| 89% first experienced homelessness in Houston. | Highlights the need to strengthen prevention to stop homelessness before it starts and diversion to make new instances of homelessness as brief as possible. |
| The most-cited causes of homelessness were family conflict (19.9%) and financial, e.g., lack of income (19.6%) and lost job (14%). | Highlights the need to scale up rental assistance and diversion programs for those at risk of falling into homelessness. |
| “An extremely high portion of unsheltered individuals reported substance use disorders, chronic health conditions, mental health disorders, or physical disabilities that significantly impaired their ability to work or live independently” | Highlights the need for the involvement of, and adequate funding for, adjacent systems like mental health and other supportive care to provide a solutions for those who need more care beyond what our system can provide. |
Learn more about our 2026 PIT Count - and where we go from here
While our system has helped thousands of people move from homelessness to housing, this year’s results highlight the need to broaden our approach.
The End Street Homelessness Action Plan aims to build a system where no one sleeps outside, and homelessness can be resolved quickly through available overnight shelter linked to housing solutions, outreach, prevention, and care.
