How Homelessness Is Trending In Arlington After Latest Point-In-Time

ARLINGTON, VA — The DC region is overall making progress on reducing homelessness, according to the latest point-in-time count released by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Wednesday.

Localities and homeless services providers conducted the count of people experiencing homelessness in January. Overall, the count recorded 9,659 people experiencing homelessness in the DC metropolitan region, down 115 people from 9,774 in January 2024.

The number accounts for people who are unsheltered and living on the streets, staying in an emergency hypothermia shelter or safe haven and living in transitional housing with support services. The report separately counts people who are now in permanent supportive housing or other permanent housing.

"It is important to note, however, that the Point-in Time count provides a limited and imperfect perspective on the challenges, successes, and progress made in ending homelessness," the Council of Governments mentioned in its report.

The Council of Governments noted that it was the region's first overall decline since 2022, when the region had a five-year low of 7,395 homeless individuals. However, half of the region's localities reporting homelessness numbers had increases.

The count includes numbers from Washington, DC; the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County and Prince William County in Virginia; and Montgomery County and Prince George's County in Maryland. Fairfax County data includes numbers from the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax, and Prince William County data includes the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

In Arlington, the count increased from 243 to 271 from January 2024 to January 2025. The latest count is still above the city's five-year low of 171 recorded in 2021. Arlington's homelessness count accounts for 33 families with 44 adults and 44 children.

Overall, 318 homeless veterans were counted throughout the region, a decrease of 10 from 2024. However, there was an increase of 22 homeless veterans from 2021 to 2025.

The DC region had recorded lower levels of homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased federal aid and eviction moratoriums. But as this aid started to run out, the DC region saw a 19 percent overall increase in the homeless count — from 8,086 in 2021 to 9,659 in 2025. The count of individuals in homeless families increased by 52 percent, from 2,318 to 3,517 between 2021 and 2025.

There has been one promising trend — an increase in people transitioning to housing. The Council of Governments recorded 34,219 homeless or formerly homeless people in permanent supporting housing, rapid re-housing and other permanent housing in the DC region. It's slightly less than the 34,890 recorded in 2024 but well above the 24,370 people recorded in 2023. According to the Council of Governments, many regional localities have helped reduce homelessness through shelter diversion, prevention programs, and permanent housing placements.

Some ongoing challenges causing the region's homelessness include high housing costs, limited affordable housing availability, shortage of living wage jobs, record levels of cost-burdened renters paying more than half of income toward rent, and racial disparities.

"The report notes that continued progress in ending homelessness will require maintaining momentum and addressing the region’s most persistent barrier: the severe shortage of affordable, available, and permanent housing for its lowest-income households," the Council of Governments said. "Achieving lasting progress will depend on sustained funding for viable housing solutions, improved data and analytics, and the development of strong service pathways that support long-term housing stability."

The Council of Governments has been coordinating the point-in-time count of homelessness since 2001, aiming to increase understanding and solutions for adults and children experiencing homelessness.