State of Homelessness Services: Annual Report 2024

Annual Report 2024

DES recently released the Homelessness in Arizona Annual Report for 2024 to provide insights and data into homelessness trends, demographic shifts, and statewide initiatives. This information is invaluable for DES and its partners in order to understand the current state of homelessness and how our combined efforts can better address the needs of individuals who are unhoused.

2024 Annual Report on Homelessness

Below are some of the highlights from the State of Homelessness Services 2024 Report:

• PIT Count 2024 - 14,737 (3 percent increase from 2023); however, there is a 4 percent reduction in unsheltered homelessness, meaning that more individuals who are unhoused are finding shelter services.
• Targeted initiatives have resulted in significant declines in veteran homelessness.
• Chronic homelessness remains an issue, particularly among those with mental health and substance use disorders.
  
  • In Maricopa County, 85 percent of the unsheltered population comprises adults aged 25 to 64, and 22 percent comprises children aged 0 to 17.
• In Pima County, 1,281 unsheltered individuals in the 2024 PIT count, down from 1,501 the year prior.
  
  • 47 percent of the unsheltered population was experiencing chronic homelessness.
  • 38 percent of the unsheltered population suffer from mental illness.
  • 42 percent of the unsheltered population deals with substance use disorders.
  • The 2024 Annual Report on Homelessness takes into account the entire state, and these are only a few of the statistics reported. View the full State of Homelessness Services Annual Report for more information or visit the DES Homeless Services page for resources.

Ending Homelessness Through Collaboration

Maricopa Regional Continuum of Care (MRCoC)

The Continuum of Care program is a national program that promotes community-wide commitment to end homelessness. MRCoC, DES, and other state agencies share homelessness reports and data, which results in a more accurate account of homeless populations and improved service.

More services from MRCoC and its partners include:

• Domestic Violence survivor housing.
• “Moving On” initiative with Public Housing Authorities.
• The program is meant to transition individuals living in supportive housing to a more permanent solution

Tucson-Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness (TPCH)

Through the Special Notice of Funding Opportunity Project, TCPH has made great strides in housing unsheltered individuals in encampments. The project is personalized for the individual, making it more likely for them to stabilize and attain or retain permanent housing.

Looking Ahead in 2025

On January 28, 2025, the DES Coordinated Homeless Office Team joined dozens of other organizations across the Valley to conduct the 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. The event provides valuable insight into Arizona's current state of homelessness. It is a count of individuals experiencing homelessness that takes place on a single night in January, and the count is done at emergency shelters, transitional housing, or a haven for the night. The interviews and observations are meant to identify a possible reason for homelessness and help DES and its partners identify ways to assist with homelessness issues.

The PIT Count is coordinated by the Maricopa Association of Governments, and the data collected through the event will be tabulated and analyzed in the weeks ahead.