Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Family Homelessness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Montgomery County reports spike in family homelessness and PIT count
Summary
County SEF officials told the committee the January point-in-time count rose 32% over 2024 to 1,510 people; family homelessness doubled from 103 to 204 families and family homelessness rose 634% over five years, officials said.
Montgomery County Services to End and Prevent Homelessness officials presented point-in-time and trend data showing sharp increases in homelessness, with the largest recent rise among families.
"In the January point-in-time count of this calendar year, we saw a 32% increase from 2024 and counted 1,510 total people experiencing homelessness in our county," Chief Hong said. She told the committee that the largest increase occurred among family households, which doubled from 103 families in 2024 to 204 families in 2025.
Officials emphasized the broader five-year trend: Chief Hong said family homelessness has increased 634% over five years and that first-time homelessness is a growing share of families entering the system. Staff linked the increases to housing affordability, rising rents and reductions in safety-net resources.
Councilmembers said the family figures are especially concerning because children affected are enrolled in county schools and because families entering homelessness often require different services than single adults. Committee members asked staff how inflow and outflow are tracked; staff pointed to an inflow-outflow chart showing the county averaged about 28 families entering homelessness each month and explained that SHARP placements have temporarily reduced net counts when funds were available.
