Community Conversation on Homelessness Kicks off the 2026 Point in Time Count

Point in Time Count 2025

Every January, volunteers span out across Charlotte-Mecklenburg streets, parking lots, encampments, and other locations to survey people who are living without shelter and connect them to resources. It’s the annual Point in Time Count and is scheduled to take place Jan. 22, 2026.

To begin the process of conducting the survey and recruiting volunteers, Mecklenburg County and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care are hosting a kick-off event:

Having experienced the realities of homelessness and addiction himself, Donald H. Whitehead Jr. has risen during the past 30 years to become one of the country’s leading advocates for recovery and experts on homelessness. Whitehead has served for five years as executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Residents interested in attending are asked to register in advance. 

Anyone with questions can email [email protected].

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is conducted annually across the United States to gather data on homelessness. It takes place on a single night in January and provides a snapshot of homelessness. The key objectives of the PIT Count are to estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness and to understand their demographic characteristics and living situations. Another goal of surveying individuals and families experiencing unsheltered homelessness is to connect them to available resources.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Continuum of Care coordinates these efforts locally. Mecklenburg County Community Support Services’ Housing Innovation and Stabilization Services Division and the Hearts for the Invisible Coalition Charlotte have partnered to lead the 2026 Point-in-Time Count.

Last year’s Point in Time Count revealed 444 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness on the night of Jan. 23, 2025. It was a 16% increase and the highest unsheltered count since 2010.  

View photos from the 2025 Point in Time Count.

As of Sept. 30, 2025, there were 2,430 men, women, and children experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, according to Mecklenburg County’s One Number benchmark. The data continues to reveal the ongoing need for services while resources continue to shrink. In its current year budget, the Board of County Commissioners addressed homelessness and affordable housing with more than $30 million in funding for a wide variety of services, programming, and community partners.  

What Can I Do? 

There is much that individuals can do to help: donate food or clothing, volunteer to help at a shelter or food bank, contribute to one of the many nonprofits that assist the homeless, and support government efforts in strategies to address affordable housing. Volunteers and donations will also be needed for the 2026 Point in Time Count, which will take place on Jan. 22, 2026.

To learn more about the state of housing in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, visit the Housing and Homelessness Dashboard.