Homelessness Reaches 'Functional Zero' In Chester County

WEST CHESTER, PA — Officials in Chester County are touting a major milestone this week as they say that homelessness has reached a "functional zero" level.

That essentially means that long term homelessness is all but eliminated and where it does exist, it is considered "brief, rare, and nonrecurring."

Officials point to the use of data and collaboration between county and local governments, nonprofits, and other community groups to collaborate resources and to build more accessible and expansive housing options.

"There is great momentum in Chester County, and thanks to the incredible efforts of the County’s stakeholders, a corner has been turned in responding to homelessness," county commissioners said in a joint statement. "We know that stable, affordable housing is the foundation for addressing health, employment, and other challenges, and that lasting progress comes from decisions based on data, a commitment to housing stability, and investments in proven solutions."

Over the past five years, 52 percent fewer people entered the county's emergency shelters. The number dipped from 1,165 in 2021 to 564 in 2025.

Some measure of homelessness does still exist. The latest 2026 point in time count, which aims to create a snapshot of the number of homeless individuals at a given time, found 219 people on the streets. That was in January.

But while emergencies and things like family crises can lead to temporary homelessness at any time, and the county is working on programs to support those individuals as well, the longer term, chronic homelessness has been the larger issue plaguing communities nationwide.

That 219 number in January was the second lowest in a decade, and well below the annual average over the last 10 years of 431.