PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — We're diving deeper into the housing crisis and the troubles many are having to afford even a place to live.
Thursday, Palm Beach County's Homeless Advisory Board released its 2025 Point in Time Count that said there are 1,520 people in the area without a place to call home, both sheltered and unsheltered.
WATCH: Residents tell WPTV's Joel Lopez being homeless 'can be' hard
This is the first time in the number has gone down in PBC after being on the rise the last three years.
At a glance, it's good news but WPTV's Joel Lopez is breaking down the numbers and the concern of why some without shelter may have gone unaccounted for.
The greatest number of homeless individuals and families were counted in the Riviera Beach and West Palm Beach areas.
Belle Glade and Lake Worth Beach areas had the third and fourth highest number of unsheltered homeless individuals and families. About 460 persons were in emergency shelters and 146 in transitional housing.
"Bryant Park for me has brought a space of temporary peace," said Isis Divine, who was at Bryant Park in Lake Worth Beach with her dog, Gigi.
It brings her peace and a place to spend the day amidst the housing crisis, after she lost her house five years ago when she couldn't keep up with the cost of living.
She said she's faced challenges finding a place to live due to apartments requiring three times the rent through first, last and security deposit.
"Is it hard out there?" asked Lopez.
"It absolutely can be. The elements can be sometimes something to bear, and being by yourself or even when I'm with my family, I'm still staying up at night looking over our shoulder," Divine said. "It's not just for street predators. Sometimes, forgive me for saying this, but sometimes it's the police. We have to make sure that we're in compliance."
PIT Count numbers over the years:
- 2020: 1510
- 2022: 1404
- 2023: 1855
- 2024: 2126
- 2025: 1520
The county has made great strides to help.
WATCH: In-depth look into how La Quinta Inn will be converted into housing for seniors, veterans
Most recently, when a hotel modification to provide affordable housing was approved.
"There's good news in this, but we're not really sure how good this really is," said a speaker during the meeting.
Staff suspects new immigration laws and homeless sleeping bans implemented last year caused fear, stopping those in need from exposing their status.
The lower number may cause a domino effect on the funding and resources available to help those unaccounted for.
It's a story Lopez has been covering for months, starting when the bill was announced to go into effect.
WATCH: Palm Beach County to spend $800K to enforce Florida's new homeless law
He uncovered the county was spending $800K for park rangers, and an initiative to provide people without homes outlets to shelters and other resources.
The county has also been looking into creating mini cottage communities to help with the housing crisis.
Staff said they'll have a clearer look at the impact of the new laws when the entire state reports homeless numbers.
"I am looking for any way that I can put my foot to the ground, without doing handouts," said Divine as she tells WPTV she has goals to work with the county as a homeless advocate, and has a proposal to work with apartments to create a payment plan so more people can afford to move into a rental.
