A report released Wednesday showed that while the same number of people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County remained unchanged from last year, more people are staying in shelters.

The Maricopa Association of Governments released numbers from the 2024 Point in Time homeless count that revealed 9,435 people experiencing homelessness on the night of Jan. 22, including 4,076 people living on the street and 5,359 people in shelter.

While fewer people spent the night on the street compared to 2023 - a 17% decrease - more people spent the night in shelters - a 13% increase.

The Jan. 22 numbers reflect a regional effort to increase shelter beds in communities across the region, MAG officials stated in a release. During the last year the region added 820 new or temporary shelter beds, according to MAG.

“This result is a win for our community. We are seeing that the investments we made in shelter are paying off,” said Rachel Milne, co-chair of the Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care Board and director of the City of Phoenix Office of Homeless Solutions.

“We know we have a long way to go still, but it’s great to see that people experiencing homelessness in our region are taking advantage of the additional shelter resources, which can be the first step for many in ending their homelessness.”

Required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the annual Point in Time homelessness count occurs in each metropolitan region in the United States during the last 10 days in January and is coordinated by each region’s Continuum of Care. MAG coordinates the Maricopa Regional count, which provides a one-day snapshot of homelessness.

The count uses volunteer teams that include city, county and state representatives, community and faith-based organizations, businesses and private residents.

“Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of the Maricopa region, shelter space has increased and more people have moved off the streets and away from the deadly risk of extreme weather. This is a major sign of progress,” U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Jeff Olivet.

“But while shelter is an important step in how we treat the crisis of unsheltered homelessness, housing is the ultimate cure. People staying in shelter still need homes they can afford and services to help them along the way.”

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