Reduce Homelessness in America

By 2022, there were 580,466 people experiencing homelessness in America. Here's why this is a problem.

The Basics:

In January 2022 , there were 580,466 people experiencing homelessness on our streets and in shelters in America.Most were individuals (70 percent), and the rest were people in families with children. They lived in every state and territory, and they include people from every gender, racial, and ethnic group. However, some groups are far more likely than others to become homeless.

This map shows the homeless count in America, the bigger the circle, the greater the amount of Homeless people.

Click on your state to view detailed information on homeless statistics

Special Populations

Historically, policymakers and practitioners at every level of government have focused special attention on specific populations and subpopulations. For example, decision-makers are often concerned about children and young people due to their developmental needs and the potential life-long consequences of hardships in early in life. People in families with children make up 30 percent of the homeless population. Unaccompanied youth (under age 25) account for six percent of the larger group.

homelessness by population in the US

People experiencing “chronic homelessness” belong to another group that is often singled out for attention. These individuals have disabilities and have also:

1) been continuously homeless for at least a year or

2) experienced homelessness at least four times in the last three years for a combined length of time of at least a year. Chronically homeless individuals are currently 19 percent of the homeless population.

Finally, due to their service to our country, veterans are often analyzed separately from the larger group. They represent only six percent of people experiencing homelessness.

Total Number of People Experiencing Homelessness per Year by Type, 2007–2020

Trends in Homelessness

Between 2019 and 2020, homelessness nationwide increased by two percent. This change marked the fourth straight year of incremental population growth. Previously, homelessness had primarily been on the decline, decreasing in eight of the nine years before the current trend began.

National Trends by subpopulation

Unsheltered Homelessness on the Rise 

Since data on homelessness has been collected, unsheltered homelessness has largely trended downward. By 2015, it had dropped by nearly a third. However, between 2015 and 2020, there was a reversal of that trend. The unsheltered population surged by 30 percent , almost wiping out nearly a decade of reductions. The number of people currently living unsheltered was virtually as high as it was in 2007.

The rising trend of unsheltered homelessness impacts nearly every major subgroup—including people of every race, ethnicity, gender, and most age groups. Only children (people under 18) have realized an overall decrease in unsheltered homelessness during the surge that was evident at least through 2020.

Difference in Bed Capacities-Individuals

Homeless Assistance in America

The nation’s homeless services systems do not have enough resources to fully meet the needs of everyone experiencing homelessness. Thus, it is helpful to examine the difficult decisions they must make, including how much of their limited funds should be spent on temporary versus permanent housing.

Temporary Housing

Historically, America has not had enough shelter beds for everyone experiencing homelessness. Individual community circumstances vary. However, in examining national-level bed and population counts for 2020, systems only had enough year-round beds for 50 percent of individuals on the night of the PiT Count

Infographic

Sanskriti Sinha's Infographic poster about Homelessness in Washington State

Thanks for visiting my website! For any questions or comments, please contact me at s-sansinha@lwsd.org

credits and citations:

Homeless in Washington Statistics 2018. Homeless Estimation by State | US Interagency Council on Homelessness. (2018). Usich.gov. https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-statistics/wa/‌

mynorthwest.com: Washington Struggles with Rising Homelessness, New Data Shows

Donovan, Lauren, and KIRO 7 NEWS Watch Live Local In Depth. ““We Must Do More:” Washington Struggles with Rising Homelessness, New Data Shows.” MyNorthwest.com, 29 Mar. 2023, mynorthwest.com/3866374/we-must-do-more-washington-struggles-with-rising-homelessness-new-data-shows/. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Washington among the worst states for income inequality | king5.com

Staff, K. I. N. G. (2018, July 24). Washington among the worst states for income inequality. king5.com. Retrieved March 29, 2023, from https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/washington-among-the-worst-states-for-income-inequality

Total Number of People Experiencing Homelessness per Year by Type, 2007–2020

National Trends by subpopulation

Difference in Bed Capacities-Individuals

Sanskriti Sinha's Infographic poster about Homelessness in Washington State