Orange County PIT Count Highlights Progress — and Continued Need

Every year, the Point-In-Time (PIT) Count provides a snapshot of homelessness across Orange County. While numbers alone can never fully capture the human stories behind housing instability, the latest 2026 PIT Count offers both encouraging progress and a powerful reminder that our work is far from finished.

According to the Orange County Continuum of Care, 6,321 people were experiencing homelessness during the January 2026 count — a 13.7% decrease from 2024.  For the first time in recent years, more individuals were counted in shelters and transitional housing programs than living unsheltered on the streets.

The report also showed:

• A 27% decrease in unsheltered homelessness

• A 37% decrease in veterans experiencing homelessness

• A 20% decrease among transition-aged youth

• Continued increases in senior homelessness due to housing affordability challenges

These numbers reflect meaningful progress made possible through collaboration among nonprofits, faith communities, local governments, volunteers, and housing advocates across Orange County.  But behind every statistic is a person — a mother searching for stability, a senior living without support, or a young adult trying to rebuild after a crisis.

At Grandma’s House of Hope, we see these realities every day.

For more than two decades, we have walked alongside men and women and families facing homelessness, trauma, hunger, and poverty.  The PIT Count reinforces what we already know: stable housing and supportive services change lives.

The latest data also highlights a growing challenge that organizations like ours continue to confront — the rising number of older adults experiencing homelessness.  As housing costs continue to climb, many seniors are finding themselves one emergency away from losing everything.

This is why Grandma’s House of Hope remains committed to providing:

• Transitional supportive housing with pathways to permanent housing

• Mental health and wellness support

• Food and basic necessities

• Life skills and empowerment programs

• A compassionate community rooted in dignity and hope

While Orange County’s homelessness numbers may be moving in the right direction, thousands of our neighbors still lack safe and stable housing. Progress is important — but so is persistence.

Real change happens when communities continue investing in people, relationships, and long-term solutions.

As we reflect on the newest PIT Count results, we are grateful for every volunteer, donor, advocate, and partner who makes this work possible. Together, we are not only reducing homelessness — we are restoring hope.