“There was a change in the methodology that was brought forward so we could really look at individuals; so that we weren’t just counting in terms of numbers, but that we knew what people’s stories were,” said Laura Moreno, FMCoC chairperson, during the press conference.

PIT counts are counts of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness, and are conducted on a single night in January. While previous counts in the region relied mostly on visual, drive-by tallies, this year’s count saw volunteers actually speaking to the individuals counted, and conducting surveys to learn about their housing history, length of homelessness, demographics and service needs. 

According to the 2026 numbers, which still need to be verified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Fresno and Madera counties had a combined total of 3,254 unhoused individuals. Of those, 1,619 experienced unsheltered homelessness and 1,635 experienced sheltered homelessness. 

This marks a staggering decrease from the HUD-verified 2025 count of 4,905, but as Supervisor Luis Chavez noted during the press conference, it’s important to keep in mind that the new methods have had an impact on the totals. 

Through the past methodology, volunteers had to assume whether a vehicle or tent was inhabited, which opened up the possibility for over-or-under estimates. The old methods also made it hard to determine whether someone was temporarily displaced or chronically homeless, or if someone had been counted multiple times. 

While the new methods give a more confident count based on the people who were surveyed, they do not account for those who were unwilling to participate. Chavez, and later Moreno, both said this was a lesson learned that will be considered when refining the methods for next year.

According to the summary report released by FMCoC, it was also learned that the time needed for interviews reduced the total area that volunteers could cover in one night. It was further noted that training will be critical, as survey techniques may differ among volunteers.