More than 5,100 people in Philadelphia are struggling with homelessness in 2026.
The total number of people without permanent housing is down 6% compared to last year’s Point in Time count, according to the summary report released first to NBC10.
The number of people living in shelters has increased compared to 2025 while those living on the streets dropped.
More than 700 people are sleeping on city streets, according to the report. In the last year, Center City and the far Northeast saw an increase in the number of people who are sleeping outside.
“We’ve definitely been seeing more people experiencing homelessness in Center City in comparison to last year,” Mike Johnson, Director of Development for Philly House, said.
At the same time, there’s been a drop in the unsheltered population in Kensington.
“The decrease in Kensington aligns with additional law enforcement actions in that neighborhood,” said Johnson. “So, it looks like some people are relocating from areas of higher enforcement to areas of lower enforcement.”
Still, about 30% of the city’s unhoused population remains in that part of the city.
Looking longer term, the city has seen a nearly 15.6% increase in its unhoused population over the last five years.