Learning More about the Homeless
One January night in 2005, an estimated 754,147 homeless
Americans spent the night either in shelters (55%), or on the streets, in
abandoned buildings, and other places not meant for human habitation (45%).
Researchers who compiled data for HUD’s first Annual Homeless Assessment Report
to Congress based this estimate on two kinds of information:
· Unduplicated counts of sheltered homeless persons from a national sample of
local communities using a new Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
· One-night counts of unsheltered individuals reported by local communities.
This study represents an evolution in the methods used for collecting
information about the homeless. The new HMIS tool, adopted in 80 localities,
improves estimates of the number of homeless and provides new information on the
characteristics of sheltered homeless persons.
Who Are the Sheltered Homeless?
Source: The Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and
Development, February 2007, p. 34.
Approximately 66 percent of those who used an emergency
shelter or transitional housing at any time during the period of February 1 to
April 30, 2005 were unaccompanied individuals, and 34 percent were in families
with children. Sixty-five percent of sheltered homeless adults were men, 59
percent were members of minority groups, 41 percent were between 31 and 50 years
of age, and 19 percent of the adults were veterans. Compared to the general U.S.
population, these groups are disproportionately represented in the sheltered
homeless population.
One-third of the sheltered homeless were part of a family needing accommodation,
and two-thirds of these families were members of a minority group. Women
comprised 84 percent of the adults in these families, and 61 percent of the
children were 17 years of age or younger. The HMIS data revealed a difference in
the prior-night living arrangements of unaccompanied persons and adults in
families. The latter more often came from their own housing unit or that of a
family member or friend, whereas unaccompanied individuals were more likely to
have stayed in a different emergency shelter, another transitional housing
location, or on the streets. Twenty percent of adults in families had stayed in
a home they rented or owned the night before entering an emergency shelter or
transitional housing. This group included families fleeing domestic violence,
experiencing family breakups, or facing eviction. Another 29 percent of adults
in families stayed with a friend or relative the night before. Thus, nearly half
of the adults with children were in a conventional housing situation the night
before entering shelter.
Where Do the Homeless Find Shelter?
Most sheltered homeless people (75%) used emergency shelters and transitional
housing located in central cities, rather than in suburban or rural areas. In
the central city, a sheltered homeless person was more likely to be
unaccompanied, older, a minority, or disabled. Those seeking homeless
residential services in suburban and rural areas were more likely to be part of
a family.
Between February 1 and April 30, 2005, 73 percent of shelter recipients used
emergency shelters, 23 percent used transitional housing, and 4 percent used
both types of services. The two types of shelter services have different
purposes, which are reflected in their average lengths of stay. Emergency
shelters provide short-term shelter until other provisions are found, whereas a
stay in transitional housing can be as long as two years, while difficult issues
contributing to homelessness are resolved. In both types of housing,
unaccompanied people stayed for shorter periods of time than did families, and
unaccompanied females tended to stay longer than males.
A Shift in Policy
One-third of the sheltered homeless in 2005 were families
with children.
Little evidence exists that the size of the homeless population has increased
markedly over the past decade, although the total inventory of shelter beds
increased slightly. Perhaps the most important development since 1996 is a
significant shift in the distribution of available beds. The number of emergency
shelter beds dropped by 35 percent, while transitional housing capacity grew by
38 percent and permanent supportive housing beds increased by 83 percent. These
changes reflect a policy shift that emphasizes providing more permanent housing
opportunities for the homeless. Of 31,000 new beds made available in early 2005,
59 percent went to permanent supportive housing, 26 percent to transitional
housing, and 15 percent to emergency shelters.
Most local communities that receive federal funds to address homelessness will
soon use the HMIS. HUD will continue to help communities develop and implement
accurate methods for conducting street and shelter counts. As the HMIS matures,
and as data accrue, we will learn more about who is homeless, why they are
homeless, and what resources are needed to reduce or eliminate homelessness in a
particular community.
The Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress is available online and can be
downloaded at no cost by going to
www.huduser.org/publications/povsoc/annual_assess.html.
Those interested in additional research on homelessness might also want to
review the following three reports from HUD’s Office of Policy Development and
Research: Strategies for Preventing Homelessness (www.huduser.org/publications/homeless/prevent_homelessness.html);
Strategies for Reducing Chronic Street Homelessness (www.huduser.org/publications/homeless/chronic_homeless.html);
and Predicting Staying In or Leaving Permanent Supportive Housing that Serves
Homeless People with Serious Mental Illness (www.huduser.org/publications/homeless/permhsgstudy.html).
They can be downloaded at no cost, and print copies can be ordered from HUD USER
for a small fee by calling 800.245.2691, option 1.
