Vermont’s homeless population decreased by 3% between 2025 and 2026, according to newly released figures from the annual Point-in-Time report.
The report, published on Wednesday, identified 3,286 Vermonters experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. This total marks a 3% drop from the previous year’s count and a nearly 9.5% decline compared to 2024 data.
Despite the overall reduction, the data revealed an opposing trend among younger populations, with child homelessness increasing by 5% in 2026. Single adults continue to make up the vast majority of households without permanent housing across the state.
Adult-only households accounted for 1,746 households, or 86% of the total, while households comprising both adults and children represented 384 households, or 18%. The vast majority of the counted population—specifically 89%—reported staying in emergency housing.
The report also highlighted persistent racial and ethnic disparities within the state’s unhoused population. Individuals identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) experienced a 9% increase in homelessness between 2025 and 2026.
The annual Point-in-Time Count tallies both sheltered and unsheltered individuals on a single night in January. The state’s two Continua of Care—the Central Vermont Continuum of Care and the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance, known as CCHA and HHAV—oversee the count to satisfy federal requirements set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Complementing the Point-in-Time count is the Housing Inventory Count, which tracks available beds and housing units designed for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This inventory encompasses emergency shelters, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and other specialized residential programs.
State agencies and local Continua of Care oversee the Point-In-Time count required by HUD.
