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Trust reports fewer people experiencing homelessness in January PIT count and improved housing placements, but length of homelessness rose
Summary
Staff reported a 5% overall decline in the Trust’s sheltered and unsheltered homeless count year‑over‑year, including a 17% reduction in unsheltered homelessness, while also noting longer average lengths of homelessness and operational challenges tied to documentation and limited exits to permanent housing.
Trust staff reported that the January point‑in‑time (PIT) count showed a 5% reduction in total homelessness from the prior year, driven largely by a 17% reduction in unsheltered homelessness.
The presentation, delivered by system performance staff and summarized by Executive Director Vicky Millett, included the following headline figures: 2,757 people in shelter, 858 people unsheltered, and a total of 3,615 people counted across Miami‑Dade in the January census. Staff said the sheltered count was roughly 0.4% below last year and that the total sheltered and unsheltered count declined by 5%.
Staff also reported operational performance trends: placements into housing for unsheltered persons increased significantly year‑over‑year (credited in part to HUD technical assistance), but length of time experiencing homelessness rose. Permanent supportive housing retention remains high — staff reported 97% retention last year, a 2% decrease from the prior reporting year. Staff described barriers to faster exits into permanent housing, including difficulty obtaining identity documents (birth certificates, state ID) for some individuals, underlying health and behavioral health issues, and limited access to housing choice vouchers as PHAs face shortfalls.
In comparative metrics, staff said Miami‑Dade’s length‑of‑time measure compared favorably to Los Angeles and New York: Los Angeles’ length of homelessness was 144 days longer than Miami‑Dade’s and New York’s was 20 days longer; the Trust also reported higher rates of exit to permanent housing than LA (by 19%) and New York (by 3%).
Ending: Staff invited board members to participate in the August census and said they will continue to track exits, returns to homelessness and document‑related barriers as part of ongoing system performance monitoring.
