PHOENIX — More than half of the people experiencing homelessness in Phoenix are now in sheltered situations, according to results now released from the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Homelessness Count, which was conducted on January 27, 2026.
The count shows 55% of people experiencing homelessness in Phoenix were sheltered on the day of the count — a 15% increase from 2025. The unsheltered population dropped nearly 13%. Across Maricopa County, the total count of people experiencing homelessness was flat, decreasing by just 8 people from 9,734 in 2025 to 9,726 in 2026.
In Phoenix, the number of sheltered individuals rose from 3,514 in 2025 to 4,041 in 2026 — an increase of 527 people. The unsheltered population fell from 3,541 to 3,093, a drop of 448 people. Phoenix's total count increased by only 60 people, from 7,275 to 7,335.
“When we see more people coming indoors, we're talking about individuals and families who now have a safe place to rest, connect with services, and begin rebuilding their stability,” Rachel Milne, Phoenix’s Director of the Office of Homeless Solutions, said.
Milne said MAG and the city collect their own monthly data and that both data sets show more shelter capacity being used now than in 2025.
“Both data sets show we have more shelter capacity now than we did last year, more indoor places for individuals to go to be in a safe place,” Milne said. “Our teams at the city and our partners — we are out there every day. Outreach teams are working with individuals, making connections, helping people find resources.”
Milne said the city's longer-term goal is to reduce the overall number of people experiencing homelessness through prevention and housing programs.
“We want to see the overall number of people experiencing homelessness in our community go down, and we plan on doing that at the city through prevention programs and housing programs — trying to stop people from even having to experience this episode of homelessness, and once they do,…