Homelessness on the rise in Montgomery County amid looming federal funding cuts
Homelessness numbers rising as federal cuts on the way
Rising homeless numbers in Montgomery County amid looming federal funding cuts. Leaders in Montgomery County are trying to come up with a plan to address rising homelessness with planned cuts to federal funding on the horizon. FOX 5's Homa Bash reports.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - Rising homeless numbers in Montgomery County amid looming federal funding cuts
Leaders in Montgomery County are trying to come up with a plan to address rising homelessness with planned cuts to federal funding on the horizon.
Data reveals that homelessness has surged over the last five years in Montgomery County and with most shelters operating at 100 percent capacity, they are running out of places to put families.
What they're saying:
A key topic during Thursday's Health and Human Services committee meeting was proposed cuts by the Trump Administration to the Continuum of Care housing program.
Congress has proposed slashing the federal Permanent Supportive Housing program by 70 percent. The program allows disabled or elderly residents to live in an apartment and receive counseling.
"This would result in increased homelessness, result in unbearably cruel and inhumane conditions for those who are already served and stable in our permanent supportive housing," said Councilmember Dawn Luedtke.
Councilmember Gabe Albornoz echoed the same sentiments.
"The vast changes at federal level are just having a deep impact in our community and because of changes in that policy, we expect many more families sadly to enter into homelessness in the next six months," Albornoz said.
Christine Hong is the Chief of the Department to End and Prevent Homelessness in Montgomery County.
She said federal cuts will impact hundreds in the community and they have been pleading with their congressional delegation to get them extended.
Hong said currently, they have 2,200 people are in permanent supportive housing 800 of them in federally funded housing.
"That would mean about 560 people, including people with disabilities, families with children - they would be forced back into homelessness, not to mention veterans who we just honored these week," Hong said. "Those cuts would be devastating."
Big picture view:
Every January, there's a Point in Time count done where teams go out and physically count all of the homeless people in the region.
For 2025, Montgomery County tallied 1,510 people, which is 162 percent higher than five years ago.
With winter coming, shelters are using overflow beds so people aren't stuck outside in the cold, risking hypothermia.
And as of early November, nearly 130 families are staying in motels, costing the county nearly $4.4 million.
"We continue to see one family entering homelessness everyday, and Montgomery County has the commitment that no family with children would be unsheltered so we expand to meet the need," she said.
There were concerns back in August when President Trump ordered homeless encampments in D.C. to be cleared that people would move into surrounding areas like Montgomery County.
Hong said that so far, there's no data to indicate that has happened to a large extent.
The next point in time count will be in January 2026.