Homelessness in the D.C. region ticked up slightly from 2025 to 2026, according to a new report from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Christine Hong, chair of the council’s Homeless Services Committee and chief of services to End and Prevent Homelessness with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, presented the findings at the council’s Wednesday meeting.

The report centers on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s mandated point-in-time count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January.

“This year, the count was conducted on Feb. 4. We had to postpone it one week due to the extreme cold and winter weather event that we experienced the week prior,” Hong said. “Although it’s an imperfect measure, it provides an important regional snapshot of homelessness on a single night.”

The D.C. region reported 9,790 total people experiencing homelessness, an increase of 131 people or about 1% from 2025. The year-over-year regional change was modest. This count is closer in line to the 2019 number, before the pandemic.

“The regional story is that homelessness fell during the pandemic era, a period when expanded federal resources and emergency protections were in place, and then increased after those temporary supports ended,” Hong said. “The main takeaway is that regional homelessness is no longer increasing at the pace seen in 2023 and 2024, and is in line with the years immediately preceding the pandemic.”

Results varied by jurisdiction.

D.C. had the largest numerical increase, with 225 additional people counted. Prince George’s County, Maryland, had 175 additional people counted, a 29% increase. Montgomery County saw the largest decrease, down by 390 people or 26%. Hong pointed to the county’s investment in short-term housing.

“Montgomery County also spent a great deal to expand emergency shelter for families, because we are committed to ensuring no family with children would sleep outside even one night,” she said.

The count also included detailed information on race, veterans and household types.

“The broader evidence is clear, and is referenced in the report, that housing costs and the cost of living are major drivers of homelessness risk, especially for families with low income,” Hong said. “In practical terms, this means family homelessness is closely tied to whether low-income families can find and maintain housing.”

Read the full report here.

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WASHINGTON – The D.C. police lieutenant arrested in a Chris Hansen sting operation is due in court Wednesday.

Lt. Matthew Mahl is accused of soliciting sex with a minor. FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick reports that Mahl was charged with felony solicitation of a minor. A status hearing Wednesday morning suggests the case could be paused, not prosecuted or dismissed, though the reason remains unclear.

DC police lieutenant arrested in child exploitation investigation tied to Chris Hansen sting

Mahl was one of several people arrested in April as part of an online sting for Hansen’s show “Takedown,” which he describes as a predator investigative series. Hansen’s team, working with members of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, set up a “sting house” where targets were lured to an address believing they were meeting a juvenile for sex.

Mahl did not enter the sting house. Instead, he was taken out of his vehicle on the street and arrested. He did not answer questions during the post‑arrest interview.

Hansen’s earlier program, “To Catch a Predator,” drew controversy over its tactics, which critics said ruined lives and careers before cases reached court. Others praised the shows for removing alleged child predators from the streets.

Mahl is on administrative leave and has had his police powers revoked. The D.C. police department is conducting its own internal investigation.

The price change is a signal the owners are serious about selling, said listing agent Michael Sobhi of the Sobhi Group. “The right buyer for a property like this is tracking the market closely, and a sharp, confident repositioning tells them the seller is serious and the opportunity is real,” he added.

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It’s the first time Sobhi’s taking the property to market, as it was previously listed with a different brokerage. 

Snyder, 61, bought the 16.5-acre estate in 2021 for $48 million, records with PropertyShark show, setting a D.C.-area price record. He bought it from Robert Stevens, the former chairman and CEO of the global defense contractor Lockheed Martin, Mansion Global reported at the time of the deal.

This isn’t the first D.C.-area megamansion the former Washington Commanders owner has tried to sell in the past few years. 

Farther north on the other side of the Potomac River in Maryland, Snyder built a French chateau-style home on about 15 acres in 2004. He listed the property for sale in 2023 for $49 million, and after failing to find a buyer after a year on the market, he donated the property to the American Cancer Society, Mansion Global previously reported. The nonprofit sold the home at auction last year for $11.84 million. 

The 16,000-square-foot Alexandria home is perched along the riverbank of the Potomac, allowing for both a picturesque setting and convenience—the estate has a private dock, giving the owner access to D.C. and other Northern Virginia waterfront destinations by boat. It occupies the largest privately-owned portion of the land that made up Washington’s estate, according to the listing. 

Though built in the Federal style, the four-level mansion doesn’t date to Washington’s era—it was built in 2018. It has eight bedrooms and 15 bathrooms, and nearly every room in the house takes in views of the river.

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“There’s simply nothing else that offers this level of seclusion and waterfront living at this scale so close to the center of power in Washington,” Sobhi said.

Amenities range from an entertainment level with a full bar and a billiards table to a fitness center with a spa that includes a steam room, an infrared sauna and a resistance pool. There’s also a 15-seat theater, which Snyder upgraded with a 15-foot by 9-foot Stewart screen and “a fully DCI-compliant system that rivals a commercial cinema experience,” Sobhi said.

Additional structures include a 2,600-square-foot guest house with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, and a carriage house with four garage bays and a studio apartment.

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On the grounds, there’s an English-style boxwood garden, recreated based on original Mount Vernon plans. 

Snyder, who, according to Forbes, has a net worth of $4.7 billion, couldn’t be reached for comment.