On a single cold night in January, more than half of Phoenix residents experiencing homelessness were counted indoors instead of sleeping outside. City leaders are calling it a sign that new shelters and staffed outdoor spaces are starting to pay off, even as the overall number of people without stable housing in the region barely budged.
According to Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care, 9,726 people were counted as experiencing homelessness across Maricopa County on the night of Jan. 26, 2026. Of that total, 53% were in emergency shelter, transitional housing or safe haven programs. The report shows a 14% jump in the number of people in shelter and about a 12% drop in the unsheltered count compared with 2025, which leaves the region’s overall total almost unchanged.
Inside Phoenix city limits, the shelter headcount rose from about 3,514 people in 2025 to roughly 4,041 in 2026. The number of people living outside fell by 448 to about 3,093, putting Phoenix’s total at around 7,335. In a city news release, Rachel Milne, director of the Office of Homeless Solutions, said that when more people come indoors, it means individuals and families have a safer place to sleep and better access to services and stability, according to the City of Phoenix…