Mary Ann Priester, PhD, MSW
Senior Management Analyst
Mecklenburg County Community Support Services
Since its inception in 2019 , the “One Number” has served as the primary benchmark for the number of people experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
The One Number is the best snapshot available for the number of people actively experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. It provides the most accurate minimum number of people experiencing homeless and provides insights into the minimum number of housing units and subsidies needed today to address their homelessness. These data also provide timely insights into the number of people flowing into and out of the homeless services system.
The Housing Data Snapshot, the hub for the latest data related to housing and homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, not only provides an overall count and demographics of homelessness by household type and subpopulation, it also highlights inflow to (Newly identified, Returns from Permanent Housing, Returns for Inactivity) and outflow from (Exit to Permanent Housing, Exit to Inactivity), homelessness.
This week’s blog post provides the most recent One Number update; a synopsis of recent dashboard updates; the latest One Number trends and analysis; and what this means for Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
LATEST DATA & TRENDS
As of June 30, 2025, there are 2,404 individuals experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. This total includes 1,610 single individuals, 163 unaccompanied youth, 178 households with minor children (totaling 545 people), and 37 families with multiple adults (totaling 64 people). Included in the total of 2,404 individuals, 156 are homeless Veterans, and 729 are individuals who are experiencing chronic homelessness. Based on these data, the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness right now (and therefore, the minimum number of housing units and/or subsidies needed) in Charlotte-Mecklenburg is 2,404.
Considering inflow (into homelessness) and outflow (out of homelessness), here are some noteworthy trends:
- Between May 2025 and June 2025, there was a 52 person decrease in the total number of people experiencing homelessness. There has been a 14% (or 380 person) decrease in overall homelessness since June 2024.
- In June 2025, 571 individuals entered homelessness (inflow) and 556 people exited (outflow). Of the 571 individuals entering homelessness, 67% (385) were newly identified, 11% (63) returned to homelessness from permanent housing and 22% (123) returned from an inactive status. Of the 556 individuals exiting homelessness, 30% (165) moved to permanent housing and 70 % (391) exited homelessness to an inactive status, which means that they had not been engaged in services for the previous 30 days.
- Between May 2025 and June 2025, overall homelessness decreased but homelessness among all household types and subpopulations except families with minor children increased. The number of veterans and unaccompanied youth increased by 1 person each while the number of single adults increased by 3. The number of people in multiple adult households increased by 12 persons. The largest increase was among people who meet the criteria for chronic homelessness. This population saw a 37 person increase. The number of people in households with minor children decreased by 20 households totaling 87 people. Finally, the median number of days it takes to exit homelessness into housing increased 236 days from 200 days to 436 days and the average number of days it takes to exit homelessness into housing increased from 387 days to 748 days. The median tells us the typical number of days it takes to exit homelessness into housing while the average includes long-stayers in shelter and people experiencing chronic homelessness.
- According to the most recent One Number data, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, individuals who identify as Black/African American continue to experience homelessness at rates much higher than their proportion of the Mecklenburg County population (74% vs. 33%) while individuals who identify as White, non-Hispanic experience homelessness at a rate much lower than their prevalence in the population (16% vs 45%). Individuals who identify as Hispanic/Latino only have a prevalence of 3% in the homeless population but comprise 14% of the Mecklenburg County population; this reflects a possible underrepresentation of the people who experience homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and identify as Hispanic/Latino.
SO, WHAT
With 2,404 individuals currently experiencing homelessness—including high numbers of unaccompanied youth, veterans, and chronically homeless individuals—these data reflect the minimum housing and service resources needed today to meet urgent community needs. The continued overall decline in homelessness since June 2024 signals progress, yet inflow continues to outpace exits to permanent housing. Chronic homelessness rose by 37 individuals this month, pointing to the urgent need for expanded supportive housing and long-term subsidies. Racial disparities persist with Black residents continuing to experience homelessness at over twice their share of the general population, while Hispanic/Latino individuals appear underrepresented—suggesting potential gaps in identification or service engagement. As Charlotte-Mecklenburg builds on recent momentum, efforts must focus on accelerating exits through low-barrier housing, reducing inflow with targeted prevention, and advancing racial equity at every stage of the system. Collective commitment to these priorities will be essential to creating sustained, measurable progress toward ending homelessness.
