Clark County officials reported a 12 percent jump in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness, according to results of the first point-in-time count done in two years.
Volunteers identified 8,859 individuals experiencing homelessness as part of the county’s point-in-time count on Jan. 29, Clark County said.
Officials released the 2026 results of the typically annual event on Wednesday. Last year, the Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care — which coordinates the point-in-time count with the county and nonprofit organizations — chose not to hold a point-in-time count after conducting the count every year since at least 2014.
Clark County spokesperson Stephanie Wheatley said the plan is to have the count every year moving forward. She added that county commissioners chose not to have a point-in-time count last year “to improve the quality, accuracy and comprehensiveness” of the point-in-time count data.
Volunteers find individuals experiencing homelessness in different settings. The January count included 5,017 people without a formal shelter living in vehicles, outside in vacant lots and parks, and other places that the county deems not meant for habitation. They account for about 57 percent of those counted, up from 53 percent in 2024.
The count also identified 3,842 people living in emergency shelter or transitional housing, which includes the other 43 percent of those counted. It’s a decrease from the 2024 count, when the same group accounted for 47 percent of those counted.
Outreach organizations call for expanded responses
At the same time, this year’s point-in-time count had a few bright spots, said a spokesperson for HELP of Southern Nevada — a Clark County-based organization that does outreach work with individuals experiencing homelessness.
Over the last two years, Clark County has seen a 21 percent drop in the number of unaccompanied children experiencing homelessness and a 9 percent drop in those aged 18-24 during the same time period, according to the January count.
While the number of individuals experiencing homelessness has increased, the decrease in these areas demonstrates that “targeted investments and coordinated services can make a meaningful difference,” HELP CEO Fuilala Riley said in a statement.
Riley added that the results of the point-in-time count underscore the need to invest in homelessness prevention, crisis stabilization and long-term housing solutions.
A spokesperson for the Southern Nevada Health District — which also conducts homeless outreach work in health care and heat mitigation — said that the results of the point-in-time count highlight the need to continue growing outreach efforts and community partnerships in the Las Vegas Valley.
“Overall, the response is going to need to be expanded,” Community Health Nurse Manager Shannon Pickering said.
Increase comes amid national decline in homelessness
The increase in Clark County’s homeless population comes after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported in May that the country’s homeless population decreased by 3 percent from 2024 to 2025. (The 2026 country-wide numbers have not yet been released, and they likely won’t be released until next year.)
Meanwhile, some counties in the Sun Belt have also seen decreases in their homelessness. San Bernardino County in California, for example, saw its homeless population decrease this year for the second consecutive year. And the Houston metro area reported its homeless population decreased by less than 1 percent between 2025 and 2026.
Clark County, though, isn’t alone in its increasing homeless population. Maricopa County, Arizona, reported that its homeless population was about 3 percent higher in 2026 than it was in 2024.
Contact Lucas Hellberg at lhellberg@reviewjournal.com.
Clark County officials are reporting an increase in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness at a time when most of the United States — including parts of the Sun Belt — is seeing decreases in their homeless populations.
Clark County officials are reporting an increase in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness at a time when most of the United States — including parts of the Sun Belt — is seeing decreases in their homeless populations.
