Shelters across the Rio Grande Valley are playing their part in a state wide effort to take count of the homeless population.

On Thursday, volunteers with Loaves and Fishes in Harlingen canvassed the city to count the amount of people without a home.

A larger homeless community means more state money for local shelters, Loaves and Fishes shelter Director Tommy Martinez said.

“This keeps our shelters running, a lot of the shelters here in the Valley rely on state funded programs,” Martinez said. 

Thursday's count in Harlingen was nearly 100 people.

Channel 5 News spoke to the Ozanam Shelter in Brownsville. They said a count of the homeless population made on Wednesday found 291 people.

Cameron and Willacy counties reported a total of 61 people in the homeless community in 2021. That number jumped to 354 the following year, and increased to 402 in 2023.

This year’s numbers are expected to total more than 600 people.

Shelter workers will report their counts to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. 

The final numbers will be available in March.

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