Coalition presents plan and a 2026 point-in-time count showing 734 people experiencing homelessness in Berks County

Elise McCauley, assistant director of the Berks Coalition on Homelessness, briefed commissioners on the coalition's recently released strategic plan to end homelessness and presented the county's 2026 point-in-time count.

"This year, we found 734 people," McCauley said, adding that 213 were living unsheltered, 420 were in emergency shelter and 101 were in transitional housing. She said the 2026 total represents about an 8% increase from the prior year and that many people experiencing homelessness are doing so for the first time and often have some income.

McCauley tied the increase to a lack of affordable housing, noting local market figures she said show a median listing price around $1,400 and studio rents rising about 12% and two-bedroom rents about 24% in the past year. "To afford a 2 bedroom apartment in Berks County, a person needs to make $26 an hour, on average," she said.

The coalition recommended several actions for county consideration tied to the block grant planning process: a countywide housing stabilization fund with flexible dollars to cover small, stability-preserving needs (for example, car repairs), expanded emergency-shelter capacity including low-barrier and senior- and disability-accessible beds, and creation of system navigator roles with embedded behavioral-health services in shelters.

McCauley highlighted a HUD-funded youth homelessness systems mapping project; she also noted a county-funded SOAR specialist has helped more than 20 people who were street homeless connect with benefits and income that enabled them to access housing.

Commissioners thanked the coalition for the presentation; county staff noted the recommendations will inform where retained and block grant funds may be best applied during the plan's development and state submission.