A snapshot of homelessness in Medford
Social Services Coordinator Jason Stone was among the volunteers who took the count in Medford.
Some preliminary numbers are available from the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count that took place on Jan. 28 to determine how many people are experiencing homelessness. The PIT is an annual federal program that takes place across the country but is overseen by local entities. The count in Medford, along with Malden and Everett, was overseen by Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD).
Ntando Dube, who is the deputy director of housing and homelessness prevention for ABCD in Malden, said the preliminary results are as follows:
- Medford: 5 unidentified individuals, 3 identified
- Malden: 4 unidentified individuals, 1 identified
- Everett: 1 unidentified individual, 0 identified
These are the numbers of homeless people volunteers encountered on the night of January 28 when they canvassed areas in the three municipalities.
Medford Social Services Coordinator Jason Stone was among the volunteers in Medford. Several teams, he said, went out beginning at 10 p.m., and it was cold.
“It was a long night,” Stone said. “We ended up coming back to City Hall at 1 a.m.”
However, he said, snow on the ground proved unexpectedly helpful, as it made it easier to locate signs of activity.
“It was a lot of following tracks in the snow, going over snowbanks,” Stone said.
Overall, he said, the count went well, while acknowledging the difficult reality behind the work.
“Obviously, you hope you don’t encounter many folks,” he said.
Dube said that this year, for the first time, volunteers used a mobile app to record data rather than writing it down. That data was then submitted to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, which oversees the PIT state-wide.
Stone explained that Massachusetts is divided into “continuum of care” (CoC) zones. Larger cities, such as Boston, operate within their own CoC zones and have dedicated outreach staff and shelter funding. Medford, Malden, and Everett, however, are part of the “Balance of State” CoC, a broader region that includes many municipalities.
While the PIT is just a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness, those numbers have historically been used to determine which areas are in need of funding for shelters, housing, and services.
