Photo: WBZ NewsRadio Archive
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A new census indicates efforts to address homelessness in Boston are working.
Boston's 2026 Point-in-Time Homelessness Count recorded 3,674 homeless persons living in the city.
That's an almost 20% decrease since 2021.
Lyndia Downie, Pine Street Inn President and Executive Director, said while the latest numbers look good, there is still work to do.
"I think that when you look at these numbers, you think that's terrific," she said. "However, these big systemic issues still remain."
Downie said there's not enough housing at the very lowest level.
"All you have to do is walk through our lobby and walk up the alley and see there's a lot of people still here in shelter that desperately need housing," she said.
300 volunteers conducted Boston's homeless census count on the night of Jan. 22 this year. .
Officials say the census shows Boston has one of the lowest rates of unsheltered homelessness among major U.S. cities.
City-wide efforts such as permanent support of housing and shelter-to-house initiatives were identified as examples of why the number of Boston's homeless individuals is dropping.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.