Homelessness on the Rise in York County, Reflecting National Trend

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  Asia Tabb is the Host and Producer for WITF’s The Spark.
  
  She began her start in radio when she joined legendary radio/ host producer, Doc Christian. She worked closely with Doc for her role on “The Gospel Express, on WHOV 88.1 FM and was a host for “Unrestricted Praise” at Praise FM.
  
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Each January, during some of the coldest days of the year, communities across the country participate in a federally mandated effort to measure homelessness. The Point-in-Time (PIT) count provides a snapshot of those experiencing homelessness in a single 24-hour period. And this year, York County’s results were sobering.

York County saw a 17% increase in the number of people without shelter compared to last year.

“It wasn’t a surprise, but it was certainly disappointing,” said Kelly Blechertas, Program Coordinator for the York County Coalition on Homelessness. “We’re always looking to decrease that number… and seeing such a significant increase was disappointing.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires the count to occur in the final 10 days of January. The timing, Blechertas explained, is deliberate. “The idea is that the number you’re counting are those that have no other resources or family and friends to rely on to have a safe place to stay.”

Teams of service providers and volunteers fan out across the county to conduct the survey. “We have teams within our housing programs who survey individuals staying in shelters,” Blechertas said. “And we also send volunteers out to places not meant for habitation—like people living in cars or outdoors without access to basic utilities.”

York County’s rise in homelessness mirrors national data. The 2024 HUD Homeless Assessment Report to Congress showed an 18% increase in homelessness across the country, making York’s 17% rise, unfortunately, in line with broader trends.

And while the PIT count is useful for identifying year-over-year changes and comparisons across regions, Blechertas noted its limitations.

“It is essentially a 24-hour count… but the number is absolutely higher,” she said. “We see about 2,700 people in York County throughout the year who are accessing different services within the homeless response system. That number is probably a little bit more accurate.”

From weather patterns to tax refund timing, many factors can impact the snapshot on that particular day.

Still, Blechertas emphasized the count’s value for understanding needs and guiding federal funding: “It provides a great way to compare yourself not only to other communities, but to see how your own community is doing over time.”