ALEXANDRIA, VA – Alexandria saw an increase in homelessness between 2025 and 2026, driven by a jump in the number of homeless children, according to a Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments report released Wednesday.
The count covers the city of Alexandria; Arlington County; Washington, DC; Loudoun County; Prince William County, Prince George’s County; Montgomery County; and Fairfax County.
Alexandria’s annual point-in-time count found 189 people experiencing homelessness on February 4, up from 166 during the previous year’s count. Of that number, 19 were unsheltered, also an increase since 2025.
Overall, that represents a 3 percent increase in homelessness in the city. The region as a whole saw a much smaller increase of 1 percent.
The count is an incomplete picture of homelessness in the city, as it only captures one night of data and doesn’t represent anyone who might be couch-surfing or otherwise in transient housing provided by friends or family, the report notes.
Alexandria’s increase was driven by a spike in the number of children experiencing homelessness: 56, compared to last year’s 36. There were 24 households with adults and children, two more than last year. None were chronically homeless.
Alexandria has more homeless people as a percentage of its population than any jurisdiction other than the District of Columbia, with 1.2 people per 1,000 experiencing homelessness during the count. Its population of unsheltered homeless people on a given night has increased relatively steadily for the past 4 years, rising 280 percent overall since 2022.
According to the report, the city of Alexandria provides a combined total of 124 year-round emergency shelter beds either through public or private non-profit partners. The Domestic Violence Program Shelter provided 20 year-round beds to serve people in imminent danger of domestic or sexual violence, and between November and April, a winter shelter program provides an additional 50 beds.
That means for half the year, there would be significantly fewer shelter beds than there are individuals in need of them, if the point-in-time count is representative of most nights.
Across the region, three of the eight jurisdictions counted saw year-on-year decreases in homelessness: Montgomery County, Arlington County and Prince William County. Prince George’s County and Loudoun County saw the most marked increases.
While the number of homeless in Alexandria increased slightly this year, both Alexandria and the District of Columbia recorded overall decreases in homelessness between 2019 and 2026. The District of Columbia recorded the largest decline of 1,158 people or 18 percent. Alexandria’s decrease was smaller: 9 people or 5 percent.
However, this might not be the trend it seems. The report notes that while the official number of people experiencing homelessness in Alexandria remains below pre-pandemic counts, “that decrease can be attributed to superficial changes, including reclassification of some homeless service programs, and fluctuating family sizes in shelter … Without these changes, Alexandria’s [point-in-time] count would be at or above pre-pandemic levels.”
The report attributes this to the phasing out of pandemic-era resources and tenant protections. The good news, according to the report, is that this highlights the efficacy of those systems when resources are available.
The Council of Governments notes that housing costs in the city have risen so high that existing funding subsidies don't go as far as they once did, ultimately serving fewer households, and that spikes in food, transportation and other costs are also burdening households and individuals.
Read the report for Fairfax County here.
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