LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A one-night count of people experiencing homelessness in Clark County found 8,859 individuals, marking a 12% increase from the last count conducted in 2024, according to new county data.
The 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count was coordinated by the Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care (SNHCoC) and conducted on the night of January 29. No count was conducted in 2025, county officials say.
Results are reported to Congress and used by local organizations and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to track homelessness, inform funding formulas and guide service priorities.
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Count by the numbers
Of the 8,859 people counted:
- 5,017 (57%) were unsheltered — living outside, in vehicles or in places not meant for habitation
- 3,842 (43%) were in emergency shelter or transitional housing
- 7,206 were adults; 1,630 people were in 499 families
- 605 veterans were counted — up 22% from 2024
- 2,074 people were chronically homeless — down 23% from 2024
- 379 unaccompanied young adults ages 18–24 — down 9% from 2024
- 23 unaccompanied children — down 21% from 2024
Racial demographics
The count found that Black or African American individuals made up 42.7% of the homeless population, compared to 11.6% of Clark County’s overall population. White individuals made up 35.44% of the homeless population, compared to 36.2% of the county population. Hispanic or Latino individuals represented 10.77% of the homeless population, compared to 32.8% of the county population.
Subpopulation data
Among those experiencing homelessness, the count identified:
- 3,638 with mental health challenges (41.07% of total)
- 3,068 with substance abuse challenges (34.63%)
- 282 domestic violence survivors (3.18%)
- 218 adults with HIV/AIDS (2.46%)
County response
Clark County Social Services Director Jamie Sorenson said the count represents a snapshot of a broader ongoing effort.
“Conducting the Point-in-Time Count is crucial for giving us a snapshot of how many people in Southern Nevada are experiencing homelessness, but it is just one part of the work that is being done every single day in Clark County to provide services to those who need it most,” Sorenson said. “Since the last PIT Count in 2024, we have added four non-congregate shelters, bringing the total to ten facilities where folks can get wraparound services while in a space designed to get them into their own home one day.”
Clark County said it has 31 Rapid Rehousing programs throughout the community, representing 26% of projects for the unhoused. The county said it will have spent more than $252 million through 2027 on ten non-congregate shelters. Since 2022, the county said it has supported the development of more than 5,600 new and rehabbed affordable housing units, including 209 units of permanent supportive housing.
Clark County noted that 2026 PIT data is preliminary and subject to change.
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