Learning More about the Homeless

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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.