Maricopa County's homeless population counted in annual survey did not increase this year

The number of people experiencing homelessness across Maricopa County did not significantly change this year, according to the latest data from the annual Point-In-Time homelessness count.

The Point-In-Time Count is a federally required survey that takes place on a single day every January. Volunteers tally people sleeping on the streets and survey shelters about their capacity to get an estimate of the scale of homelessness across the region.

The Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care Board on Monday reviewed preliminary data from the 2026 count. This year’s final Point-In-Time report will be published later this month.

“In total there were 9,726 individuals who were counted in this year’s PIT. That is a decrease of 0.1% from last year, so relatively flat overall,” Matthew Finley, with the Maricopa Association of Governments, told the board.

And investments in shelter beds across the Valley appear to be making an impact.

“This year a big highlight is that more people slept inside; more people were sheltered,” Finley said.

Finley said 632 more people were in shelters this year compared to last, an increase of about 14%, while 640 fewer people were counted on the streets, a drop of about 12%.

While the total number of unhoused individuals in this year’s survey was almost exactly the same as last year’s total, it is still very high, compared to pre-pandemic numbers. This year’s total of 9,726 homeless individuals is a 47% increase compared to the 6,614 homeless individuals counted in 2019.

And Point-In-Time data is widely considered to be an undercount. The survey has no way of capturing housing-insecure people in staying in hotels or couch-surfing with friends, for example.

Other data from the Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care continues to show more people are becoming homeless across the region than are finding housing to exit homelessness.