“Unsheltered” is defined as people staying in places not meant for habitation, such as streets, vehicles and encampments. Volunteers calculate the count by surveying homeless shelters over a 24-hour period.
Joplin's unsheltered population has increased by 18% since last year, according to preliminary results from the 2026 Point-in-Time Count.
The Economic Security Corporation prepared the unsheltered count. Robin Smith is the Assistant Director of Development for the Corporation. She said the reasons for homelessness in Joplin reflect what's happening across the country.
"Mostly it's just lack of income, and or lack of housing is what we're seeing as far as the problems with finding affordable housing," Smith said.
The Point-in-Time Count focuses on types of houses and the composition of households, like whether they are adults only, or adults and children.
Children's Haven provides a premanent or temporary place for children in crisis to stay.
Executive Director Stephanie Theis said the shelter has seen a 40% increase in sheltered nights for children in the last 12 months.
According to her, the primary cause for the increase in sheltered nights is limited affordable and safe housing and economic instability.
"We have parents who are working two jobs to try to make ends meet and it's just not working for so many families,” she said. “That number seems to be growing."
Watered Gardens provides a variety of services to the greater Joplin area, such as shelters for families and the workforce, as well as an overnight shelter.
On one particular night, they had 12 people trying to get into their emergency shelter. Chief Executive Officer, James Whitford suggests a long-term solution rather than a bandage approach.
"In deep poverty, we see people in need and we just want to meet this superficial need, but we're addressing symptoms," Whitford said. "We're not actually addressing underlying source issues and pathologies that need to be addressed."
The number of people occupying beds in different types of shelters has decreased compared to last year. Emergency shelters, for example, have decreased 19% from last year. Traditional housing also decreased by 13%.
The city received a five-year grant to start the Regional Commission on Homelessness in 2024. The commission has representation from up to 24 organization heads and homeless shelters to find a durable solution to the crisis.
The partners adopted the Community Plan to Address Homelessness in 2025. The city of Joplin, the Regional Commission and the Homeless Coalition announced the hiring of Layne Bourgeous as the new Director of Homelessness Response for the Joplin region. The partners announced Bourgeous' hiring in an April press release.
The creation of the director's position was one of the first goals of the Community Plan to Address Homelessness.
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