Officials say 981 people were listed homeless in Lancaster County during an annual count in January, including 125 living on the street or in places deemed unfit for human habitation.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that the number was the highest since the count began in 2006.

A little more than half of the 981 people were in transitional housing and about 35 percent were living in local shelters.

The homeless count report from the Center on Children, Families and the Law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says the number had been rising until 2011, when money from the federal stimulus program was available to help put homeless people into apartments.

Those federally funded programs were being phased out when the 2012 homeless count was taken.