Is Savannah's Approach to Homelessness Working? The Numbers Show Progress

Savannah and Chatham County are reporting significant declines in several measures of homelessness.

Since 2023, unsheltered homelessness has fallen 62%, chronic homelessness has declined 59%, and the number of identified homeless encampments has dropped 83%, according to data presented by the Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless.

The 2026 Point in Time Count identified 582 people experiencing homelessness across Chatham County. Of those, 104 were living without shelter.

More Than One Approach

The numbers are particularly interesting because Savannah hasn't relied on one solution.

The community has expanded street outreach, shelter and housing while connecting people with services. Savannah has also developed a Homeless Court, which gives eligible people charged with certain low-level offenses related to homelessness an opportunity to address their cases while connecting with services.

Day services have also become part of the system, giving people a place to receive assessments and assistance without having to stay overnight.

And once people are housed, the results appear promising: officials reported a 95% housing retention rate, meaning most people placed into housing remained housed rather than returning to homelessness.

But the Work Isn't Finished

There is another number worth paying attention to.

About 76% of people who experienced homelessness during the previous two years were entering the homelessness system for the first time.

That points to a different challenge.

Savannah may be making progress helping people leave homelessness, but households are still becoming homeless for the first time. And fewer encampments don't necessarily mean homelessness has disappeared. Still, the numbers offer something worth watching.

Savannah's experience suggests that addressing homelessness may work better when communities combine housing, outreach, legal intervention, and supportive services instead of expecting one program to solve the problem alone.

Sources: WTOC