Casper Area Sees Spike in Homelessness, New Count Shows

Annual Point In Time survey records nearly 100 more homeless individuals in the region.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 2:35am

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An abstract, out-of-focus street scene in muted tones of blue, gray, and yellow, depicting silhouettes of people walking, conveying a sense of isolation and uncertainty surrounding the issue of homelessness in the Casper community.The annual homeless count in Casper reveals a troubling spike in the number of individuals struggling with housing insecurity and limited access to support services.Casper Today

The latest annual Point In Time count in the Casper, Wyoming area found a significant increase in homelessness, with 262 individuals recorded compared to 167 the prior year. Community Action Partnership, which conducts the survey, says the rise is likely due to a combination of more accurate counting methods and an actual increase in the homeless population facing challenges like evictions, substance abuse, and mental health issues.

Why it matters

The Point In Time count provides crucial data to guide local, state, and federal efforts to address homelessness. The sharp uptick in Casper highlights the growing need for expanded services, housing, and support programs to assist vulnerable residents and combat the root causes of homelessness in the community.

The details

According to Community Action Partnership, the 262 individuals counted this year included 40 who were completely unsheltered, 159 in emergency shelter, and around two dozen who were chronically homeless. The survey also found that 77 respondents reported a chronic condition, 67 had a substance use disorder, and 53 had a mental health condition. Additionally, 18 people said they became homeless after fleeing domestic violence, and 10 children were counted.

  • The annual Point In Time count was conducted in 2026.
  • The previous year's count in 2025 recorded 167 homeless individuals.

The players

Kelly Wessels

Executive Director of Community Action Partnership, the organization that conducts the annual Point In Time count in the Casper area.

Michael Bond

Casper City Council member who asked about the most impactful steps the city could take to combat homelessness.

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What they’re saying

“Definitively, we're seeing people with fewer options, eviction rates have been higher and people who have bad histories haven't been able to get in. It's a spiral effect.”

— Kelly Wessels, Executive Director, Community Action Partnership

“This count is a floor; it is not a ceiling. The methodology captures a moment in time only, and the true scope of homelessness in Natrona County is almost certainly higher.”

— Kelly Wessels, Executive Director, Community Action Partnership

“These are people who are residents. They have family ties here. … There are many faces to homelessness. It's not always the person asleep on the side of the street — it could be the person who serves you at a fast food restaurant or your coworker, and you wouldn't know.”

— Kelly Wessels, Executive Director, Community Action Partnership

What’s next

Wessels identified several strategies for addressing homelessness in the Casper area, including expanding permanent supportive housing, building an incarceration-to-housing reentry pipeline, strengthening dual-diagnosis behavioral health capacity, working with the school district to protect children and stabilize families, connecting homeless veterans to federal resources, and investing in culturally responsive services for Native American residents.

The takeaway

The sharp rise in homelessness recorded in Casper's latest Point In Time count underscores the growing need for a comprehensive, community-wide approach to address the complex challenges driving this crisis. Policymakers and service providers will need to work together to expand access to housing, mental health and addiction treatment, and other vital support services to help lift vulnerable residents out of homelessness.