Philadelphia’s latest one-night snapshot of homelessness shows a nearly 7% drop from a year earlier, with 5,163 people counted as experiencing homelessness on the night of the survey. The big shift is outdoors: the number of people sleeping outside fell sharply to 711, while those in emergency, transitional and Safe Haven shelters inched up to 4,452.
City figures and what they measure
The city’s Proposed Annual Action Plan lists 5,163 Philadelphians experiencing homelessness in the most recent count, with 4,452 in shelters and 711 unsheltered, and describes the unsheltered decline as one of the largest year-over-year improvements in recent memory, according to the City of Philadelphia. Officials say the annual point-in-time tally is a key tool for steering funding, outreach and shelter-placement decisions across the city’s homeless-services system.
What officials are saying
Cheryl Hill, executive director of the Office of Homeless Services, credited Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s housing agenda in comments to NBC10 Philadelphia, saying, “Thanks to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s visionary plan and commitment to end street homelessness, the City is now decreasing the number of people living unsheltered.” The outlet also reports that the full 2026 report is expected to be released later this summer.
Count limits and underlying drivers
Advocates and researchers stress that point-in-time counts capture only a single night and can miss people who are couch-surfing, in institutions or temporarily housed, so the numbers understate the broader reality of housing instability, as Project HOME has noted. For context, the 2025 PIT summary from the Office of Homeless Services counted 5,516 people experiencing homelessness and 1,178 living unsheltered, showing how the unsheltered figure can swing noticeably from year to year (Office of Homeless Services). That volatility is a big reason advocates focus on shelter capacity, outreach and long-term housing supply as the deeper indicators of progress.
What to watch next
City leaders have pointed to shelter expansion and housing investments as central parts of their response, and local coverage has highlighted a multi-billion-dollar effort to preserve and build affordable housing units while adding shelter capacity, according to PhillyVoice. Officials say the upcoming full PIT report will break down trends by demographics and neighborhood, while advocates argue that only sustained follow-through on housing will show whether this year’s drop in homelessness actually sticks.
