Tampa Bay’s 2026 homelessness snapshot moved in different directions on either side of the Florida region.
Hillsborough County posted a modest decrease overall, while Pinellas County recorded an increase. Even so, both counties reported signs of growing strain among older residents and people staying outside.
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Bay News 9 reported Pinellas County counted 1,949 people experiencing homelessness, including 635 who were unsheltered, while Hillsborough County counted about 1,760, including 745 living unsheltered. The annual point-in-time count is used by local organizations to measure trends and strengthen applications for government funding.
An 18% jump in homelessness among people 65 and older stood out in Hillsborough even as the county’s overall total slipped about 3%, according to Antoinette D. Hayes-Triplett, CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative…