2024 Point-in-Time Count Results Show Significant Drop in Phoenix’s Unsheltered Population | https://www.phoenix.gov/newsroom/mayors-office/3108 | | Mayor's Office | 5/22/2024 8:15:00 PM | https://www.phoenix.gov/newssite/Lists/NewsArticle/Attachments/3108/5be61e8771952.image.jpg | | 2024 Point-in-Time Count Results Show Significant Drop in Phoenix’s Unsheltered Population | <div class="ExternalClass544EB67CCACB4F719C1C210D8F450008"><html>
<p>The 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) Homelessness Count, conducted by the Maricopa Association of Governments, shows a significant decrease in the number of individuals who are unsheltered in the City of Phoenix—the first of its kind drop in more than a decade. <br></p><p>The PIT Count is an annual street and shelter count that determines the number of people experiencing homelessness throughout Maricopa County during a given point in time, as part of a national effort to identify the extent of homelessness across the country. <br></p><p>Because of a series of investments by the City Council, Phoenix is funding more shelter beds than at any time in the city’s history. Despite an improvement in numbers, Mayor Kate Gallego said there’s still much to do to help those experiencing homelessness to get into permanent housing. The region experienced a significant increase in homelessness following the COVID-19 pandemic. <br></p><p>“This year’s Point-in-Time count demonstrates that the work we’ve done to expand shelter options is making a measurable difference,” Gallego said. “Although the number of those living unsheltered in our community is still too high, and we certainly have more work to do to get people into permanent, stable housing, it’s reassuring to know that we are making steady progress getting residents off the streets and into safer situations.” <br></p><p>Phoenix’s efforts to create shelter space accounted for the overwhelming majority of the drop in the region’s unsheltered population, and Gallego said the Valley’s larger homelessness challenges cannot be solved until other regional partners take more significant action. Phoenix has come to represent nearly 83 percent of all new shelter beds in Maricopa County in the last three years alone. <br></p><p>This year’s PIT Count report revealed: <br></p><ul style="" class="" dir=""><li><p>The number of unsheltered individuals in Phoenix decreased by 19 percent, from 3,333 people in 2023 to 2,701 in 2024. </p></li><li><p>The number of people experiencing homelessness who are sheltered increased by 15 percent, from 3,569 in 2023 to 4,115 in 2024. </p></li><li><p>The total population of people experiencing homelessness in Phoenix decreased by just over 1 percent, from 6,902 in 2023 to 6,816 in 2024. </p></li></ul><p><a target="_blank" href="mailto:https://azmag.gov/Programs/Homelessness/Data/Point-In-Time-Homelessness-Count">Review the data</a>.<br></p><p>The City of Phoenix built nearly 500 beds in 2023 and is on track to deliver close to 800 more by the end of this year. <br></p><p>The homelessness challenge across the U.S. is posing a public health, public safety, and economic threat. Phoenix has <a target="_blank" href="/newsroom/homeless-solutions/2902">converted hotels</a> to temporary housing, used federal relief dollars to build homes made of<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/weather/2023/07/29/exp-phoenix-arizona-heat-shelters-containers-072904aseg2-cnni-weather.cnn"> shipping containers</a>, and expanded wraparound services in partnership with Phoenix non-profits. <br></p><p>As the entire country faces a housing affordability crisis, Gallego’s 2019 “<a target="_blank" href="/housingsite/Documents/Final_Housing_Phx_Plan.pdf">Housing Phoenix Plan</a>” aims to increase housing options for residents at all income levels and family sizes. The plan, which outlined a goal of creating, building or preserving 50,000 homes by 2030 is already <a target="_blank" href="/housingsite/Documents/Final_Housing_Phx_Plan.pdf">80 percent complete. </a><br></p>
</html></div> | https://phoenix.gov/mayor | News | | mayors-office | Homelessness | Mayor's Office | | | | | | Arielle Devorah | 520-248-5106 | | | | arielle.devorah@phoenix.gov | | | | | | | | | MayorGallego | |