LOGAN, Utah — A recent regional survey conducted in Cache County and the Bear River Region found dozens of people experiencing homelessness during a winter count designed to help guide housing and social service planning.
Volunteers participated in the annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Count Jan. 28–30, canvassing communities across northern Utah and southeastern Idaho to identify individuals experiencing homelessness and gather data used to inform funding and policy decisions.
According to a release from the Bear River Association of Governments, in Cache County, 123 volunteers logged 723 hours searching neighborhoods, commercial areas and other locations where people might be living without shelter. During the effort, volunteers distributed bags containing food, warming supplies and information about available resources while also conducting surveys about barriers to housing.
The effort is coordinated locally by the Bear River Local Homeless Council and is part of a nationwide count conducted each year to provide a snapshot of homelessness in communities.
According to preliminary data from the survey, 29 unsheltered individuals were observed in Cache County, including people who declined to participate in surveys or could not be awakened during the count. Volunteers also identified 13 additional cases considered probable homelessness based on professional judgment.
Across the broader Bear River Region, which includes Cache, Box Elder and Rich counties, 35 surveys were completed with individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Survey responses represent people who reported staying outdoors, in vehicles or in other places not meant for human habitation on the night of Jan. 28.
In Box Elder County, volunteers completed 17 surveys, nearly triple the number recorded in previous years. Organizers said the increase may reflect stronger outreach efforts, shifting patterns of homelessness or growing need in the area.
The count also measured individuals and families staying in temporary housing or emergency shelters.
On Jan. 28, the William A. Burnard Warming Center sheltered 39 individuals onsite and two additional people in hotels. The Bear River Association of Governments reported 18 individuals using hotel vouchers during the same time period.
CAPSA reported sheltering 19 households totaling 68 individuals, including 47 children, while New Hope Crisis Center sheltered two individuals onsite and one person in a hotel placement.
Data from the Cache County School District also show the broader impact of housing instability on families. During the 2025–2026 school year, the district has identified 122 students experiencing homelessness.
Of those students, 79 are living in doubled-up situations with other families, one is living in a hotel or motel, 24 are staying in shelters, 12 are unsheltered and 13 are unaccompanied youth not living with a parent or guardian.
Officials note that the school district’s definition of homelessness is broader than the PIT count’s definition, meaning the annual survey likely underestimates the total number of people experiencing housing instability.
The data support findings from the region’s 2025 Community Needs Assessment, which identified housing as the highest need in the Bear River Region. Officials estimate the region is short about 1,100 housing units over a three-year period, contributing to continued reliance on emergency housing systems and temporary hotel placements.
While the numbers are preliminary, the annual count provides a snapshot of housing needs in the region during one winter week. Final state-verified totals from the 2026 Point-In-Time Count are expected to be released later this summer.