Connecticut’s homeless population increased for the fifth year in a row, with a 3% rise in 2026. The state’s annual point-in-time count found that there were 3,847 people experiencing homelessness on the night of January 27, 2026.

Causes of Homelessness

Providers have attributed the increase largely to rising rents and higher cost of living overall while incomes remain stagnant. Particularly for seniors, many of whom live on a fixed income, it can be hard to keep up — and the number of homeless seniors has increased by 51% since 2024.

The point-in-time count is broadly considered an undercount because it typically doesn’t include people who are couch-surfing or doubling up.

Response to Homelessness

The state had previously allocated $5 million for cold weather resources such as emergency beds and faster responses. Service providers for years have called for this emergency funding to be annualized in the state budget and said they need more resources to meet the growing need, but so far budget allocations have fallen short of their requests.

A census report compiled by Nutmeg Consulting found that the homeless sheltered population increased by around 17%, while the number of people living outside decreased by almost 50%.

“The data shows that investment in housing, outreach, shelter and extreme weather response — especially during cold weather — are yielding and producing measurable results,” said Sarah Fox, chief executive officer of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

The number of homeless children remained stable at 592, while the number of homeless people 65 or older saw the biggest increase, jumping from 281 to 320 in a single year. Since 2024, the elderly homeless population has increased by 51%.

“We’re finding more older adults living on fixed incomes are unable to keep pace with rising costs and health care expenses,” Fox said.

Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.