The number of people experiencing homelessness across the Houston region remained virtually unchanged in 2026, according to newly released data from the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (CFTH).
The 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count identified 3,321 people experiencing homelessness across Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties, down four people from last year.
Black people ‘overrepresented’ in count
Black individuals remain disproportionately represented among those experiencing homelessness, accounting for 57% of the total population. White individuals represent 25%, and Hispanic individuals account for 14%.
“The African American population is experiencing homelessness quite a bit,” said Jeremy Sanders, an outreach worker at the coalition. “Some come from incarceration, then try to reestablish their lives and don’t have the same fortunate opportunity to do so as quickly as others. Drugs play a part; some are already dealing with addiction.”
What do the numbers say?
Of those counted this year, 2,051 people were staying in shelters, while 1,270 were living unsheltered. The sheltered population increased slightly while the number of unsheltered individuals declined compared with 2025.
“This pattern reflects a positive development in system capacity, driven in part by the opening of two new emergency shelter programs serving survivors of domestic violence,” the report states. “These additional resources have expanded access to safe shelter for individuals and families in crisis.”
The annual count, conducted by hundreds of volunteers and outreach workers, serves as the region’s primary measure of homelessness and helps guide policy decisions and federal funding allocations.
“The Point-in-Time Count is like a photograph,” said Renee Cavazos-Benavides, vice president of the homeless response system at CFTH. “It captures an important moment, but there is always more happening outside the frame. That’s why this year’s report includes additional indicators that help us understand how people move into homelessness, how they move back into housing, and where we need to focus our efforts as a community.”
Houston’s approach to homelessness
Houston-area leaders argue that the region’s coordinated approach has helped prevent the dramatic increases seen elsewhere. The local Continuum of Care, known as The Way Home, coordinates outreach, shelter, housing, and supportive services across the three-county region through dozens of nonprofit and healthcare partners.
“Everyone deserves a safe place to call home, and the rise in people living in unsheltered conditions highlights the urgent need for Housing First solutions such as those supported by CFTH,” said Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis. “We remain committed to working collaboratively with community partners to address these growing challenges so we can create a world where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.”
The report
The new State of Homelessness report expands beyond the annual count to examine how people move through the homelessness response system throughout the year.
The report found that roughly 36,000 people received services through The Way Home program in 2025, while partner agencies helped house around 2,100 households.
Additionally, 85% of people who exited homelessness remained stably housed over a two-year period.
But there are also growing pressures entering the system.
The report found that more than 7,100 people entered homelessness for the first time during 2025.
Kelly Young, president and CEO of CFTH, says funding plays a key role in addressing homelessness.
“The Point-in-Time Count is like a photograph. It captures an important moment, but there is always more happening outside the frame.”
Renee Cavazos-Benavides, vice president of the homeless response system at the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County
“The additional data shows our system is doing a great job maintaining our progress, in spite of additional economic stressors and pandemic funding having been exhausted,” Young said. “Further progress will depend not only on additional investments in housing and services but also on our ability to expand new interventions to resolve homelessness more quickly.”
During the 2026 count, outreach members and unhoused people told the Defender how rising housing costs, health emergencies, job loss, and family disruptions can quickly push people into homelessness.
Survey data from this year’s count shows domestic violence, exit from jail or foster care, family conflict, job loss, rising housing costs, loss of caregiver, medical or mental health crisis, and substance use as some of the most commonly reported pathways into homelessness.
Beyond housing challenges, homelessness continues to carry serious health consequences. A 2024 Harris County Homelessness Mortality Report found that 305 people died while experiencing homelessness that year.
