On a cold night in January, Mecklenburg County volunteers fanned out across Charlotte and its suburbs to count who was sleeping in shelters, cars and tents. By the time the annual Point-in-Time Count wrapped, they had identified 2,018 people experiencing homelessness on the night of Jan. 21, 2026. Nearly 500 of them were living unsheltered, a roughly 12% jump from the year before, even as the number of people in shelters fell after several emergency programs closed or cut beds. Volunteers also encountered a person who had died during the count, a grim reminder of the stakes as advocates warn the system is stretched thin.
What the count found
According to WFAE, the Point-in-Time Count identified 2,018 people experiencing homelessness across Mecklenburg County, with 499 of them living in places not meant for habitation. WFAE reported that the unsheltered increase was roughly 12% year over year, while county officials said the number of people in shelters declined. The PIT results came from volunteers and outreach teams…..