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Hays County presenters tell Dripping Springs council unsheltered counts rose despite lower total PIT numbers
Summary
Hays County Health Department officials told the council that while the county’s total PIT count declined, the number of people sleeping unsheltered rose (from 55 to 94) and sheltered counts fell; presenters urged continued investment in prevention, shelter access and school partnerships and noted data limitations from submission errors and confidentiality protections.
Hays County officials presented the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) count to the Dripping Springs City Council, saying the data show a complex picture: the county’s total counted population declined since 2024, but unsheltered homelessness rose markedly while sheltered counts fell.
"This count offers a snapshot of homelessness on a single night," said Dr. Izzy Vigil, behavioral health coordinator with the Hays County Health Department and PIT lead. She and Key Escuela, community health services manager, said the 2026 count recorded 94 unsheltered individuals compared with 55 in 2025, while the sheltered count fell from 132 to 57. Presenters noted the January 22 count occurred one day before a cold-weather shelter activation and that the end of certain programs may have affected sheltered numbers.
Presenters emphasized data limitations: demographic fields were incomplete for many respondents, confidentiality protections prevent some victim-service providers from submitting certain information, and technical submission errors affected shelter reporting. "Missing information contributed to some of the data reflected in the report," Vigil said, thanking 70 trained volunteers and multiple local sponsors who supported the effort.
The presenters urged the council to continue investing in prevention, school partnerships, diversion, and service providers that connect people to housing and supports, and offered to share the raw data they received from the Texas Homeless Network upon request. Council members thanked the presenters and asked follow-up questions about outreach coverage, school McKinney-Vento counts (which showed 35 students in Dripping Springs with housing instability), and next steps for funding or referrals.
The council did not take immediate formal action; staff and presenters agreed to continue discussions and provide any requested additional scenario data or follow-up materials at a future meeting.
