The decrease was driven largely by the County’s significant investments in housing solutions for families. In 2025, the number of people counted in family households increased by 80%. In response, Montgomery County launched the Short-Term Housing and Resolution Program (SHaRP) in early 2025 to help families experiencing homelessness move more quickly into permanent housing.
“Just a year ago, we saw a major increase in those experiencing homelessness, and we understood we had to respond quickly,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We invested in getting families into permanent housing faster because keeping people in emergency shelter indefinitely is harder on families and more expensive for taxpayers. These PIT count results show that approach is working. We still have serious challenges ahead, especially with chronic homelessness and seniors experiencing homelessness, but this shows that targeted investments and coordinated outreach can make a real difference.”
The County’s PIT survey was conducted on the night of Feb. 4 as part of a regional and nationwide effort to count people experiencing homelessness, including:
- Individuals living unsheltered outdoors.
- Individuals staying in an emergency or hypothermia shelter.
- Individuals staying in transitional housing or Safe Havens.
The count is a snapshot from a single night, and the numbers should be considered in the context of year-round totals.
This year’s count included:
- 1,120 adults and children experiencing homelessness who were in shelters, transitional housing, Safe Havens, or unsheltered locations.
- 742 people in adult-only households experiencing homelessness, a 7% decrease from last year.
- 378 people in family households, a 47% decrease from last year.
- 83 unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness, a 48% decrease from last year.
- 53 transition-age youth experiencing homelessness, a 9% decrease from last year.
- 45 veterans experiencing homelessness, a 10% decrease from last year.
- 122 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, a 14% increase from last year.
- 184 people ages 55-64 experiencing homelessness, a 16% increase from last year.
- 109 people ages 65 and older, experiencing homelessness, an 18% increase from last year.
The Montgomery County Continuum of Care (CoC) is a public-private partnership that includes State and local government agencies, nonprofit service providers, landlords, and other stakeholders working to prevent and end homelessness. Led by the County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the CoC provides outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing services.
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Case management services focus on reducing barriers to housing and connecting individuals and families to employment, disability benefits, and other supportive services. The CoC also provides prevention services, including emergency financial assistance, rent subsidies, and energy assistance, to help residents maintain stable housing.
“The data coming out of this year’s Point-in-Time count is a direct result of the comprehensive approach taken to reduce homelessness in our communities,” County Council President Natali Fani-González said. “In Montgomery County, we believe that access to housing is a basic right. We have put critical investments into addressing housing stability for our most vulnerable residents and families. We will continue working to expand our safety net services and treat every resident in our County with the dignity they deserve.”
SHaRP is a locally funded program that was first piloted during the pandemic and successfully helped many families secure permanent housing. The program provides security deposits and up to one year of rental assistance to help families move from shelters into housing. Housing navigators also connect families to community resources and provide light-touch case management to support long-term housing stability.
In December 2024, the County approved a special appropriation to expand SHaRP in response to increasing numbers of families entering the shelter system. Since then, the program has helped house 325 families, including more than 1,000 adults and children.
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COG’s regional analysis found that 9,790 people were experiencing homelessness across the region, representing a 1% increase from 2025. Five of the eight Continuums of Care participating in COG’s Homeless Services Committee reported increases in homelessness between 2025 and 2026. However, several key regional indicators declined in 2026, including the number of families, veterans, and unsheltered single adults experiencing homelessness.
The COG 2026 Point-in-Time survey report is available on the COG website. For more information on County services, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/homelessness.
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Media Contact: Peter Sinclair, Peter.Sinclair@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-3238
Read the original article at mcgov