Despite all-time high, statewide homeless count finds numbers fairly stable in Sioux Falls

Attempting to determine how many people in South Dakota lack housing is an inexact science — so while this year’s annual point-in-time homeless count shows an all-time high, it also reflects more participation.

The statewide total is 1,431, up from 1,338 last year; however, it was driven by more concentrated outreach, both in Sioux Falls and on tribal land, where both Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River reservations participated, compared with just Cheyenne River in 2024.

Of the 1,431 total, 363 people, or approximately one in four, were unsheltered. That compares with 227 in 2024, 310 in 2023 and 342 in 2022. The total represents an all-time high, ahead of the previous high of 1,389 set in 2022.

South Dakota Housing for the Homeless Consortium, an affiliate of South Dakota Housing, conducted the annual statewide count Jan. 28. The count includes all those staying in public and private shelters, including domestic violence shelters, transitional housing or motels paid for by an agency and unsheltered individuals who are staying in vehicles, on the streets or in places not meant for human habitation.

Of the 1,431 people who were experiencing homelessness in South Dakota that day:

• 843 men and boys were counted, compared with 578 women and girls.
• 8.8 percent of respondents were age 18 to 24, a decrease from 11 percent in 2024.
• There were 37 veterans experiencing homelessness, an increase from 31 in 2024.
• As in 2024, 38 percent of adult respondents were experiencing homelessness for the first time. 53 percent of respondents had fewer than four instances of homelessness in the past three years, compared with 70 percent in 2024.
• 25 Victim Service Providers from across the state participated in the 2025 count and reported 254 clients fleeing domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault.

The best way to assess this year’s numbers is by comparing them to 2022 as both years had similar participation levels statewide, said Joseph Tielke at South Dakota Housing, who is the continuum of care administrator.

“PIT (point-in-time) counts rely on local partners’ capacity and availability, and 2025 saw strong engagement, comparable to 2022,” he said.

“Lower numbers in 2023 and 2024 were largely due to some communities and projects not participating. This year’s count was a success, and we appreciate the efforts of our partners and volunteers.”

In Sioux Falls, there were 614 homeless individuals counted, consistent with 610 last year. The number of unsheltered grew to 60 from 37 last year.

“We had a stronger outreach effort this year than in the past, and we had outreach teams with experience and relationships in the community doing the count,” said Suzanne Smith, associate vice president for enterprise data analytics at Augustana University and the Augustana Research Institute, who serves as regional coordinator for Sioux Falls.

“That helps ensure we find people who should be counted and are able to survey and count them because there’s a basis of trust built up.”

While the count reflects a snapshot of a single night, “actual surveying happens for a week following that night,” Smith said. “Then, agencies have about two weeks to enter any paper surveys into the online system. At the same time, we’re reviewing shelter records of who actually checked in versus who was surveyed to make sure everyone is counted.”

Last year’s increase in Sioux Falls’ numbers drew attention, largely because of expanded bed inventory, Tielke said.

“It’s not surprising that numbers remained steady this year. Favorable weather after the count date Jan. 28 likely allowed outreach teams more opportunity to locate and survey unsheltered individuals, contributing to the increase in reported unsheltered numbers.”

This year, several entities joined together to help collect the data, including Southeastern Behavioral Health, South Dakota Urban Indian Health, Midwest Street Medicine, Minnehaha County Human Services, Church on the Street, the Prism Center, Sioux Falls Housing and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“There was a lot more outreach,” said Monica Bailey, program manager for South Dakota Urban Indian Health.

“We were able to locate and count more folks unsheltered, but overall it was less than (previous years) or about the same.”

The team walked along the River Greenway and stopped in Heritage and Nelson parks and “had a lot of great, positive interactions with people living out there,” said Michelle Treasure, the city’s homeless coordinator.

The message was “we’re not going to kick you out and take your stuff, but you have to come up with a plan,” she said, adding that the count this year was during a warmer January week, which allowed the team to tell people “it’s going to get cold; we’re really worried about you. Here are your points of contact.”

Then, they came back a week later “and just kept talking to these people, and it actually worked out really well,” she said. “A lot of people who are unsheltered don’t love the idea of being housed. Not all of them are in that situation, but a lot of them have zero desire.”

The count has attracted a growing group of staff and providers who have worked on the count for multiple years.

“Their experience means coordination is easier every year, and the count is more efficient and hopefully more accurate and complete,” Smith said.

Sioux Falls was recognized by the state for its efforts to reach out to the unsheltered population.

The city and partners such as South Dakota Urban Indian Health also have made a concerted effort in the past year to help people living on the streets connect with services. For instance, they determined five individuals were driving many of the law enforcement calls for service last summer, and “we were able to find long-term, healthy solutions,” Bailey said. “Very few people in a downtown our size can make it feel like a pretty large problem.”

As issues increased downtown, collaboration to address them did too; here’s the plan for the season ahead