Point in Time Counts Show Homelessness in Oakland County and Region
(Kurt Metzger, March 4, 2025)
Oakland County, MI – The recent freezing deaths of two homeless children in Detroit have ratcheted up discussions around the issue of homelessness and the availability of shelters and services. It has also increased discussions around the lack of affordable housing throughout our region.
This is not a Detroit only issue, as the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count has shown increasing numbers of homeless throughout the state.
The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. HUD requires that Continuums of Care (CoCs) conduct an annual count of people experiencing homelessness who are sheltered in emergency shelter, transitional housing, and Safe Havens on a single night.
CoCs also must conduct a count of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness every other year (odd numbered years). Each count is planned, coordinated, and carried out locally. In addition, a CoCs conduct a Housing Inventory Count (HIC) – a point-in-time inventory of provider programs within a CoC that provide beds and units dedicated to serve people experiencing homelessness, categorized by five Program Types: Emergency Shelter; Transitional Housing; Rapid Re- housing; Haven; and Permanent Supportive Housing.
Rather than provide an exhaustive look at homelessness in the tri-county area and the shelter options available, visit https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/3031/pit-and-hic-data-since-2007/ to start your own analysis.
Here we are simply providing a longitudinal look (2015-2024) at homelessness across 4 geographies – Detroit/HP/Hamtramck; out-Wayne County; Macomb County; and, Oakland County.
The charts below track homeless counts over the last 10 years in the tr-county area – Total Homeless and Homeless Children.
While each area has experienced ups and downs in counts over the years (Chart 1), my primary takeaway is that we have NOT achieved any true success in reducing homelessness anywhere in the region. This is not to criticize at all the great organizations in our area who provide homeless services. This is more a hit on the lack of transitional and affordable housing.
The second chart tracks homeless children and shows 2024 as being close to the worst year for each area. Children account for 25-27 percent of total homeless in Detroit and Macomb, and 37 percent in both out-Wayne and Oakland.
The State of Michigan has 20 CoCs, each of which participated in the count. The statewide total of 9,739 was the highest since 2015. Major contributors were Kent County (1,089), Kalamazoo County (664), and Ingham County (648). While 19 CoCs cover the majority of “urban counties,” the 20th essentially represents the rural areas of the state and registered the HIGHEST number of homeless – 1,937 individuals, 558 of who were children.
As upsetting as the high numbers of homeless children counted in this effort are, the definition of “homelessness” is much broader than what is captured in January and the number of children in these circumstances (staying with relatives; squatting; living in tents or cars; etc.) is much greater. I plan to look at homeless counts by school district in Oakland County to expand my analysis. I know, however, that many homeless children are not registered for school, so some, hopefully small, under-count is inevitable.
To learn more about homelessness and resources, visit https://www.oaklandhomeless.org/.
Visit the Data-Based Stories Archives on Oakland County Times for stories on voter turnout, population shifts, Dogs of Oakland County, and other statistics-related stories, thanks to Data Expert Kurt Metzger.
