Homelessness hits 2,188 in Buffalo New York, officials say
In buffalo new york, a January 2026 Point-in-Time count found 2,188 people experiencing homelessness across Western New York. That was a 24% increase from the year before and the highest level recorded since data collection began in 2005.
The Homeless Alliance of Western New York said the increase reflects a growing need and a system struggling to keep up. The leading causes in the region were eviction, loss of income, and domestic violence.
Daniella Gallego on housing supply
Daniella Gallego, the Continuum of Care Supervisor at the Homeless Alliance of Western New York, said the response has to start with more housing. “Working with the city, working with the county, seeing what initiatives we can push forward to increase that housing stock. If we increase that housing stock, we can get more individuals housed.”
Her comment points to the practical bottleneck for people trying to leave homelessness: the region is counting more people than it has since 2005, while the organization responsible for coordinating services says the path forward runs through housing supply.
Haley Diagostino and $23 million
Haley Diagostino, the Aging Systems Coordinator at the Homeless Alliance of Western New York, said the agency oversees more than $23 million for homeless and housing programs in Western New York. “As the lead COC agency, we oversee more than $23 million for homeless and housing programs in Western New York, and a huge part of moving forward is making sure that that funding is protected.”
She added, “Right now, there is a lot of uncertainty with federal funding and policy priorities, so that would be a huge priority right now.”
May 15 at Knights Events Center
The alliance is also planning a meat raffle at the Knights Events Center in Cheektowaga on May 15. For people relying on the region’s housing and homeless services, the count shows more demand is arriving at the same time the agency says its funding and policy environment is unsettled.
