Data & Research
Explore data and information about homelessness in the Midlands, including who is experiencing homelessness, how needs are changing, and how our community is responding.
Understanding Homelessness in the Midlands
Homelessness does not look the same for everyone.
Some people sleep outside, in vehicles, or in places not meant for people to live. Others stay in emergency shelters while working toward permanent housing. Families may move between temporary places. Young adults may stay with friends because they have nowhere else to go.
Behind every number is a person or family navigating a housing crisis.
Homelessness by the Numbers
On a single night in 2026, 1,270 people experiencing homelessness were identified across the Midlands through the annual Point-in-Time Count.
That included people staying in emergency shelter and transitional housing, as well as people sleeping outside or in other places not meant for habitation.
1,270
26% decrease
116
37% increase
People experiencing homelessness
In unsheltered
homelessness since 2024
Veterans experiencing homelessness
In chronic
homelessness since 2019
What the Numbers Tell Us
The numbers tell us something important: progress is possible, but the needs are changing.
While unsheltered homelessness has declined, the Midlands continues to see people experiencing homelessness for longer periods and people with increasingly complex needs.
A Snapshot, Not the Whole Picture
The Point-in-Time Count provides a snapshot of homelessness on a single night each year. It helps communities identify trends and understand changes over time, but it does not represent every person who experiences homelessness during the year.
MACH uses Point-in-Time Count data alongside year-round data from the homeless response system to better understand needs, measure progress, and identify gaps.
Homelessness Is a Housing Crisis
People become homeless for many different reasons, but homelessness ultimately occurs when a household loses access to safe, stable housing and does not have the resources needed to secure another place to live.
A housing crisis can begin with:
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A job loss or sudden reduction in income
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Rent increasing beyond what a household can afford
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An eviction or unexpected financial emergency
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Domestic violence or family conflict
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A serious illness, disability, or behavioral health crisis
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Leaving foster care, an institution, or another system without stable housing
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A shortage of affordable housing
Often, several of these circumstances happen at the same time.
Sheltered and Unsheltered Homelessness
Sheltered Homelessness
People experiencing sheltered homelessness are staying in places such as emergency shelters, temporary shelters, or transitional housing.
Unsheltered Homelessness
People experiencing unsheltered homelessness are staying in places not designed for people to live, including streets, vehicles, abandoned buildings, encampments, and other locations.
Both represent homelessness.
Both require a community response, but the housing and service needs of each person or household may be different.
Chronic Homelessness
Some people experience homelessness repeatedly or remain homeless for long periods of time.
Chronic homelessness often intersects with significant disabilities, health conditions, behavioral health needs, aging, and years of housing instability.
The increase in chronic homelessness means our community must strengthen the housing and support options available to people who have experienced homelessness for the longest periods of time.
The Affordable Housing Gap Matters
Ending homelessness requires somewhere for people to go.
When rents rise faster than household incomes and affordable units are scarce, people remain in shelters longer, housing programs have difficulty finding units, and households living on the financial edge have fewer options when a crisis occurs.
1,100
Additional affordable housing units needed
The Midlands needs approximately 1,100 additional affordable housing units to better meet the needs identified through the homeless response system.
Housing availability is not separate from homelessness. It is one of the central pieces of the solution.
Measuring Our Progress
The Point-in-Time Count provides an important annual snapshot, but understanding whether our homeless response system is working requires looking at what happens throughout the year.We look
MACH uses year-round data to monitor trends, identify gaps, and understand how effectively people are moving through the homeless response system.
We look at measures such as:
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How many people enter homelessness
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How long people remain homeless
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How many people move into permanent housing
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Whether people return to homelessness after being housed
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How effectively available housing and shelter resources are being used