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From Jan. 28-30, survey volunteers went around the Houston region—including Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties—asking unhoused individuals where they slept the night of Jan. 27, 2025.
The coalition found that there were 3,325 homeless individuals in the region that night, 45 more compared to last year, according to the report. Harris County was reported to have 3,000 homeless individuals, while Montgomery and Fort Bend counties were reported to have 247 and 78, respectively.
Compared to the national level, which has been climbing annually, Houston’s homeless population remains steady, due in part to a “consistent response system” to addressing homelessness, Kelly Young, the coalition’s president and CEO, told Community Impact in an interview.
“This year’s results underscore why we continue to advance strategies that move us toward ‘equilibrium,’” Young said. “In order to prevent homelessness, respond within 90 days, and ensure no one has to sleep outside while waiting for housing, we must invest in a system capable of meeting the full scale of need in our city and county.”
“Chronicity has a time limit on it,” Young said. “You could have a group of individuals who, the last couple of years, didn’t meet the HUD requirement of what is considered chronicity. Now they’re moving into that [because] they’re on the street longer.”
Ben King, a clinical assistant professor in the University of Houston's medical school, who analyzed the PIT data, said during a Sept. 9 webinar that rising chronicity suggests that there are individuals who are unable to be rapidly rehoused.
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The results come as Houston continues to find funding for its $70 million-a-year plan to eliminate street homelessness. Mike Nichols, the director of the Houston Housing and Community Development Department, said during the webinar that in order for the city to achieve its goal of eliminating homelessness, the efforts must be sustainable, with or without federal funding.
“Homelessness is a national problem that we are addressing locally,” Mayor John Whitmire said in a Sept. 9 news release. “We are making progress, and the challenges would be worse without our program. I have always believed there was an undercount of unhoused individuals on the streets. Our initiative brings together a coalition of nonprofits, service providers and philanthropy partners to identify resources, including available beds and funding. Our goal is clear: no one should have to sleep outside, and we remain focused on achieving that goal."
The city has so far received nearly $37 million in funding from sources such as Houston First, Houston Downtown Management District, METRO and local dollars, according to a June 16 housing and affordability committee meeting.
“I’m hoping that as we go forward during the year, the unhoused numbers will go down,” Nichols said. “As you know, the mayor has been focused on those individuals who are living unhoused on the streets. That’s going to be a major focus as we move forward with funding from the federal or city government.”
In July, the city expanded on the civility ordinance, banning sleeping and lying in public spaces 24/7 in Houston's downtown and East End areas. Larry Satterwhite, director of the city’s Public Safety and Homeland Security, said in July that the city is starting at the downtown and East End areas first because it's historically a concentrated area, a hub for homeless individuals and a part of the city where there are enough resources to offer.
However, some council members, such as Tiffany Thomas, shared their concerns during an Aug. 27 City Council meeting after her constituents said they saw homeless individuals who weren’t there previously. She said she’s worried the civility ordinance expansion has started pushing unhoused individuals to other parts of the city.
Thao Costic, the executive director of Harris County Housing & Community Development, said during the webinar that the county is working to eliminate homelessness in the region by using strategies such as:
- Investing $8 million over the next two years to provide eviction protections
- Increasing housing through multifamily rentals and single-family homes
