The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance released its 2019 "State of the Homeless" report Thursday, which details numbers and trends in the homeless populations of Dallas and Collin Counties, as well as the resources the region uses to try to help them.
Each year, members of the alliance work with homeless advocacy groups and go out into communities to try to get an accurate count of the homeless population and to interview them.
This year's work was completed in January.
The 2019 report found that overall, the homeless population has grown about nine percent from this same time last year.
It also noted that the largest year-to-year growth they observed was among 25-44 year olds.
Another key takeaway from the report was the increasing number of cities where they found homeless people.
In MDHA's 2018 report, Farmers Branch, Addison, and Carrollton had no observed homeless populations. In 2019, all three tallied.
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On the flip side, several communities saw a decrease in their homeless populations, including Mesquite, Balch Springs, Irving, Plano, McKinney, and Wiley.
As for fixes, the report noted the hurdles they face due to a lack of temporary and affordable housing across the region, which MDHA says is critical for breaking the cycle of homelessness.
