The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released its latest national estimate of homelessness in the U.S., noting reductions in every major category or subpopulation since 2010. HUD’s 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress finds significant and measurable progress to reduce the scale of long-term or 'chronic' homelessness as well as homelessness experienced by veterans and families.
HUD’s annual ‘point-in-time’ estimates measure the scope of homelessness on a single night in January of each year. Based on data reported by more than 3,000 cities and counties, last January’s one-night estimate reveals a 24 percent drop in homelessness among veterans and a 16 percent reduction among individuals experiencing long-term or chronic homelessness since 2010. HUD’s estimate also found the largest decline in the number of persons in families experiencing homelessness since the Department began measuring homelessness in a standard manner in 2005.
During one night in late January of 2013, local planner organizations or “Continuums of Care” across the nation conducted a one-night count of their sheltered and unsheltered homeless populations. These one-night ‘snapshot’ counts are then reported to HUD as part of state and local grant applications. While the data reported to HUD does not directly determine the level of a community’s grant funding, these estimates, as well as full-year counts, are crucial in understanding the scope of homelessness and measuring progress in reducing it.
Key Findings of the Report
On a single night in January 2013, local planning agencies or ‘Continuums of Care’ reported:
- 610,042 people were homeless representing a 6.1 percent reduction from January 2010. Most homeless persons (64 percent) were individuals while 36 percent of homeless persons were in family households. Nearly two-thirds of people experiencing homelessness (65 percent or 394,698) were living in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs. Meanwhile, 35 percent (or 215,344) of all homeless people were living in unsheltered locations such as under bridges, in cars, or in abandoned buildings.
- Veteran homelessness fell by 24.2 percent (or 18,480 persons) since January 2010. On a single night in January 2013, 57,849 Veterans were homeless.
- Chronic homelessness among individuals declined by 15.7 percent (or 17,219 persons) since 2010.
- Homelessness among individuals declined nearly 4.9 percent (or 20,121 persons) since 2010. Meanwhile, homelessness among persons in family households declined by 8.2 percent (or 19,754 persons) since 2010. This decline is entirely composed of unsheltered people in families.
To access the complete report, please visit:
HUD: 2013 AHAR Report: Part 1 - PIT Estimates of Homelessness
Media reports:
Bangor Daily News: Homelessness continues decline in US, but Maine sees increase, according to HUD
New Haven Register: Homeless Connecticut vets, once ignored, get needed support
Background information:
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness: Opening Doors
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