Dallas' Homeless Population Is Up for the Second Year in a Row — as It Is in Many Nearby Cities

As the number of homeless people rises in Dallas and Collin counties, the population is spreading into more cities, newly released figures show.For the second year in a row, the number of people without shelter in the two counties increased 9 percent, officials said Thursday at Dallas' annual State of the Homeless address.The total homeless population counted in 19 cities in the counties was 4,538, up from 4,140 in 2018.Of the total, 1,452 people were unsheltered homeless — those who don't seek housing in shelters and live on the streets. That number is up 111 people over last year. People in emergency shelters account for about half the total, which also includes people in safe haven and transitional housing.Data from the point-in-time count, a one-night census of the homeless conducted in January, shows the number of people without shelter increased in most of the cities where counts took place. Some that found no homeless people in last year's census— Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Addison, Allen and Nevada — had counts to report in 2019.  Continue reading...