Alexandria reported a significant 11% decrease in homelessness in the 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) count, with 166 people experiencing homelessness compared to 187 in 2024. This reduction aligns with a broader regional trend that saw overall homelessness decline by 1% across the Washington metropolitan area.
The annual count, conducted on January 22, 2025, reveals that Alexandria’s progress outpaces the regional average, making it one of four jurisdictions to report decreases in homelessness this year. The city’s reduction of 21 people experiencing homelessness represents meaningful progress in local housing efforts.
Of those counted in Alexandria, 101 are individuals without children, while 65 are persons in families. The city reports no unaccompanied youth in this year’s count. The majority (92%) of those experiencing homelessness in Alexandria are sheltered, with only 8% living in unsheltered conditions.
The decrease in Alexandria’s homeless population is attributed to several factors, including the success of the city’s Domestic Violence program in obtaining emergency protective orders and effectively housing people served by the program.
“This is largely attributed to the program’s success in obtaining emergency protective orders and effectively housing people that are served in the program; meaning they either did not have to leave the home or if they are seeking shelter services they are quickly moved out of that program via the efficient work of the DV program’s housing locator,” the report states.
Despite overall progress, Alexandria continues to see significant racial disparities in its homeless population. Black or African American individuals represent 64% of those experiencing homelessness, despite making up only 22% of Alexandria’s general population according to National Census Data.
The city’s Racial Equity Action Committee (REAC), established in 2022, works to address these disparities by aligning racial equity initiatives with community needs and centering equity in all Continuum of Care (CoC) policies and processes. This year, REAC created a media campaign highlighting stories of those with lived experience of homelessness to raise community awareness and address negative stereotypes.
Alexandria’s Strategic Plan to End Homelessness, approved in 2023, guides the city’s approach with two overarching themes: addressing racial disparities and centering the voices of those with lived experience in policy decisions.
The city’s Eviction Prevention Task Force continues to play a crucial role in reducing housing instability. Since 2022, the Task Force has maintained eviction prevention positions throughout Alexandria, including Housing Relocators, Service Navigators, Court Navigators, and Housing Justice Attorneys.
The Task Force operates through three subcommittees: Tenant Education and Community Outreach, Landlord Outreach, and Legislative Advocacy. These groups coordinate weekly courthouse outreach, host Know Your Rights workshops, work with landlords to prevent evictions, and advocate for housing stabilization legislation.
Employment remains a significant factor in housing stability. Among households without children experiencing homelessness, 27% report being employed, a slight decrease from last year. For households with children, 48% of adults report employment, a 17% increase from 2024.
The city’s housing inventory includes 124 year-round emergency shelter beds, 40 for households without children and 84 for households with adults and children. Additionally, Alexandria provides 20 undesignated year-round beds through its Domestic Violence Program shelter and 50 undesignated seasonal beds during winter months.
Alexandria’s permanent housing solutions include 70 Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Other Permanent Housing (OPH) beds for households without children, and three PSH units totaling eight beds for households with adults and children whose heads of household have serious mental illness.
Looking ahead, Alexandria identifies three significant barriers to preventing and ending homelessness: persistent racial disparities among residents experiencing poverty and housing instability, high eviction rates, and lack of affordable housing opportunities for the lowest-income households.
The city continues to implement strategies to address these challenges, including expanding the Permanent Supportive Housing program. The Department of Community and Human Services and the Office of Housing were awarded $1.2 million in funding to create a rental subsidy-based permanent supportive housing program for 35 individuals living with serious mental illness and experiencing homelessness.
Regionally, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) report shows a total of 9,659 people experiencing homelessness across the area, a decrease of 115 persons from 2024. The District of Columbia recorded the largest decrease with 478 fewer persons, while Montgomery County saw the greatest increase with 366 additional persons.
The report emphasizes that continued progress in ending homelessness requires addressing the region’s most persistent barrier: the severe shortage of affordable, available, and permanent housing for its lowest-income households.
