Overview
- Maricopa County’s 2026 one-night tally found about 9,720 people experiencing homelessness, with a 12% drop in unsheltered people and a 14% rise in those in shelter.
- In Phoenix, 55% of people counted were indoors, as sheltered placements rose to 4,041 and unsheltered counts fell to 3,093, leaving the city’s total up by only 60 people year over year.
- Orange County counted 6,321 people, down about 13.5% from 2024, with 3,256 in shelters and 3,065 unsheltered in the county’s first count showing more people indoors; the unsheltered total fell 26.6%.
- Local leaders credit expanded beds and outreach for moving people inside, yet say scarce affordable housing keeps people in shelters longer and slows the opening of spots for those still outside.
- The Point-in-Time count is a single January night census used to secure U.S. HUD funding, and experts note it can miss people and hinge on methods, underscored by Phoenix’s dispute over HUD counting its Safe Outdoor Space residents as unsheltered.