A count of people living in shelters and on the streets from Northern Virginia to the District to suburban Maryland reveals that the region has made some progress against the problem of homelessness.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments reports 7,605 people experiencing homelessness this year, an 8% reduction compared to last year’s data.
“The point-in-time count is a one-day snapshot,” said Hilary Chapman, housing program manager for the Council of Governments. “It takes place in the last 10 days of January every year.”
Chapman credits eviction moratoriums and diversion programs, as well as additional housing resources, including emergency housing vouchers and emergency rental assistance.
Some of the greatest improvement happened in District, where the count showed 701 fewer people experiencing homelessness in 2022 compared to 2021, a 14% decline.
“The District has had a reduction in total numbers of people experiencing homelessness six years in a row,” said Chapman.
Although the actual numbers of homelessness are much smaller by comparison in Loudoun County, the count shows a 24% increase in homelessness — the numbers increased from 80 in 2021 to 99 in 2022.
COG’s census of area jurisdictions
| Jurisdiction | 2021 | 2022 | Change in number | Percent Change |
| City of Alexandria | 106 | 120 | 14 | 13% |
| Arlington County | 171 | 182 | 11 | 6% |
| District of Columbia | 5,111 | 4,410 | -701 | -14% |
| Fairfax County | 1,222 | 1,191 | -31 | -3% |
| Frederick County, Md. | 223 | 210 | -13 | -6% |
| Loudoun County | 80 | 99 | 19 | 24% |
| Montgomery County | 577 | 581 | 4 | 1% |
| Prince George’s County | 537 | 571 | 34 | 6% |
| Prince William County | 282 | 241 | -41 | -15% |
| TOTAL | 8,309 | 7,605 | -704 | -8% |
