November 9, 2026, Washington, D.C. – The National Alliance to End Homelessness today announced that overall homelessness decreased by an estimated 6.7 percent between 2025 and 2026. The results are according to an independent analysis of Point in Time Count data commissioned by the Alliance and conducted by Jared Schachner, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy, affiliated with its Homelessness Policy Research Institute and Lusk Center for Real Estate.
“This encouraging news should send a message to elected officials at all levels,” said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “Providers in your communities can and do end people’s homelessness every day. Now is the time to double down on their success, and provide the federal, state, and local resources needed to continue this downward trend.”
Homelessness Declines Among Key Groups
The analysis estimated that on a single night in 2026, 693,000 people experienced homelessness in the United States, a decrease of approximately 49,000 people nationwide, following a more modest (3.3 percent) decrease in 2025.
Other notable decreases include an estimated 7.6 percent drop in sheltered homelessness, 4.9 percent decrease in unsheltered homelessness, and 7.8 percent decrease among U.S. military veterans. This brings veteran homelessness down by 60 percent since 2010, making it the greatest proof point for rapidly connecting people to permanent housing, then connecting them with the supportive services they want and need.
A Concerning Increase
Despite the reductions, chronic homelessness remained relatively flat, with an estimated 1.0 percent increase. These are the people who experience homelessness for the longest, and who have the greatest vulnerabilities.
According to Alliance experts, the increase highlights the shortage of resources tailored for this population. Most notably, it suggests the urgent need for investment in Permanent Supportive Housing, a comprehensive intervention for people who require ongoing housing support combined with supportive services to help them stabilize in housing.
“For decades, Permanent Supportive Housing has been considered the gold standard for treating those with the greatest needs. Yet, the program is vastly underfunded, and the Trump Administration has repeatedly attempted to defund it,” said Oliva. “This is a reckless approach that would surely erase these declines if it moves forward. No community can afford that.”
The Outlook Moving Forward
The analysis comes at a tense moment for homeless services. Despite the reductions, a new Alliance analysis points to massive resource gaps for providers nationwide. Specifically, the analysis found that homeless response systems only have enough permanent housing for nine percent of unhoused people and enough shelter for just 35 percent of unsheltered people. Further, the Alliance found that on the night of the 2025 Point in Time Count, less than one percent of Continuums of Care had enough permanent housing to rehouse everyone experiencing homelessness in their communities.
Oliva warned that future reductions are not assured, noting that the Trump Administration continues to unlawfully meddle in federal homelessness grants programs, attempting to gut investments in permanent housing and instead shift towards temporary interventions. Despite these efforts, she noted that these changes have not gone into effect, and that they have no bearing on this year’s declines.
“These decreases are a testament to local homelessness systems and front-line service providers across this nation, working with fidelity to evidence-based best practices,” said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “These professionals have continued their life saving efforts in the face of resource shortages, staffing shortages, political interference, and an affordability crisis that continues to force more people into homelessness each week. Despite these obstacles, providers continue to do more with less every single day. They are an inspiration to us all.”
About the National Alliance to End Homelessness
The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. As a leading voice on the issue of homelessness, the Alliance analyzes policy and develops pragmatic, cost-effective solutions; works collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity; and provides data and research to policymakers and elected officials in order to inform policy debates and educate the public and opinion leaders nationwide.
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