UCS of Johnson County point-in-time count shows growth in homelessness

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The United Community Services of Johnson County has released new data in an annual point-in-time (PIT) count revealing trends in homelessness.

The data includes people in shelters, transitional housing programs and locations like tents, vehicles or other unsheltered locations. The numbers do not reflect households that are doubled up with friends and family.

The PIT count is also only conducted during one night during the last ten days of January. The count serves as a snapshot of homelessness trends in the area.

The 2024 PIT count showed 250 people, a 6% increase from January 2023, and a 44% increase from January 2015. However, according to UCS of Johnson County, the number of these households with children has remained “relatively flat”, while the number of adult-only households has increased significantly. UCS says that the number of adult-only households has seen a 671% increase from 2015, from 21 to 162 households.

UCS of Johnson County also reports that the number of people unsheltered on the night of the PIT count grew over time as well. A 152% increase in unsheltered people can be found in the data, from 23 people in 2015 to 58 people in 2024.

If you would like to donate to support UCS of Johnson County, click here . Donations help advance the availability and delivery of health and human services in the community.

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