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Hays County coalition reports 2025 point-in-time count: San Marcos accounts for most people identified as experiencing homelessness
Summary
The Hays County Homeless Coalition presented the 2025 point-in-time count to the San Marcos City Council, reporting that most people counted in the county that night were in San Marcos and that sheltered placements accounted for many families and domestic-violence survivors.
The Hays County Homeless Coalition presented results from the 2025 point-in-time (PIT) count to the San Marcos City Council on Tuesday, reporting that nearly all of the people the county located that night were in San Marcos.
Reverend Joshua Sutherland, co-chair of the coalition, told the council the count — a federal HUD-mandated one-night survey used to estimate homelessness and allocate grant funding — took place on Jan. 23 and relied on volunteers and local nonprofits. “The point in time count is a nationwide mandated population assessment,” Sutherland said, describing how volunteers canvass locations and interview or document people who are unsheltered or in emergency shelter.
The coalition reported 187 people counted across Hays County, with 179 located in San Marcos and smaller counts in neighboring cities. Of those counted in San Marcos, many were sheltered in transitional housing programs: the coalition said 132 of the count’s San Marcos entries were in shelter programs located inside the city, including placements at the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center.
Sutherland and the coalition highlighted several findings: - Young children and young adults made up a notable share; nationwide trends show ages 0–5 are often most represented in PIT counts because entire families may be displaced. - A large share of those counted in shelter identified as survivors of domestic violence; the coalition noted those figures reflect shelter populations at the Women’s Center. - Some portion of the “unsheltered” people were living in vehicles, including in retail parking lots in neighboring cities; volunteers reported finding people sleeping in Walmart, Target and Kohl’s parking lots.
Council members discussed next steps and asked the coalition for help translating the PIT results into longer-term funding and disaster-response planning. Sutherland urged a countywide preparedness approach and asked the city to continue to lead coordination, saying county emergency-response systems were “not working” for the homeless population and that San Marcos-based services were bearing the brunt of the county’s warming-center needs in cold weather.
Why it matters: The PIT count is one of the data sources HUD and local funders use to allocate housing and service funding. The results also inform local and county service planning, including rapid rehousing and veteran-specific vouchers.
What’s next: Councilmembers agreed to continue working with the coalition and the county to discuss formal requests or a resolution urging countywide coordination. The council asked staff to schedule follow-up discussions with county and nonprofit partners.
