Homelessness remains a persistent crisis across the United States, even as broader economic measures like unemployment and poverty improve. On any given night in 2020, approximately 580,000 Americans had nowhere to call home and were forced to sleep on the streets, in shelters or in transitional housing.
This human toll demands urgent action. But effectively addressing homelessness also carries huge benefits for communities. Getting our neighbors off the streets greatly reduces suffering while lowering the heavy societal costs of emergency services, lost economic potential and preventable healthcare.
So how can policymakers, nonprofit groups and community members work together to bring those numbers down? As an advocate who has worked on this issue for over a decade, I’ll provide an in-depth look at the latest homelessness statistics to highlight who is most impacted and proven solutions that can make a difference.
Contents
The Scale of the Crisis
Let‘s start by unpacking the overall scale and scope of homelessness in America today:
-
On a single night in January 2020, roughly 580,000 people across the country were experiencing homelessness, according to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This represents a 2.2% decline from 2019, but remains significantly above the low point in 2016 before numbers began creeping upwards again.
-
About 35% of those experiencing homelessness were unsheltered – sleeping outside, in cars, abandoned buildings etc. The other 65% were residing in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs.
-
Over half of all homeless Americans reside in one of the country‘s 50 largest cities. But suburban and rural homelessness is growing.
-
California continues to have the largest homeless population, with 161,000 people accounting for over a quarter of the national total. New York, Florida, Texas and Washington round out the top five states.
-
Los Angeles and New York metro areas have the most people experiencing homelessness, with over 75,000 homeless residents apiece.
-
Homelessness declined by 2.2% between 2019 and 2020. But the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to reverse that trend when data for 2021 and 2022 is released.
To understand the longer-term trajectory, let‘s look at the 10-year trend in homelessness nationwide:
| Year | Number of People Experiencing Homelessness |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 656,129 |
| 2011 | 663,782 |
| 2012 | 625,503 |
| 2013 | 610,042 |
| 2014 | 582,162 |
| 2015 | 564,701 |
| 2016 | 549,543 |
| 2017 | 553,742 |
| 2018 | 552,830 |
| 2019 | 567,715 |
| 2020 | 580,466 |
After peaking in 2010-2011 following the Great Recession, homelessness declined nearly 15% by 2016 thanks to policy interventions like the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program in the 2009 Recovery Act. But the numbers crept up again after 2016, even before the economic impacts of COVID-19 hit. This troubling backslide highlights the need to redouble efforts and address the root drivers.
Vulnerable GroupsBearing the Brunt
While homelessness touches Americans of all backgrounds, certain groups shoulder an outsized burden. Take a look at how factors like race, age and family status intersect with risk of homelessness:
-
African Americans make up 13% of the overall population but account for 40% of people experiencing homelessness. Systemic socioeconomic disadvantages contribute to a poverty rate of 18.8% among Black households versus just 7.3% for white households.
-
Over 35,000 unaccompanied youth under age 25 experienced homelessness on a given night in 2020. LGBTQ youth have an even higher risk, with 20-45% of homeless youth identifying as LGBTQ.
-
Homelessness declined by 5% among people in families between 2019 and 2020. But 33,000 families with children remained unhoused, one of the most heartbreaking manifestations of this crisis.
-
Single adult men still make up the majority of the homeless population at 61%. But the number of homeless single adult women increased between 2019 and 2020.
-
22,000 veterans were homeless on a single night in January 2020. But this group saw a sharp 7% decrease from 2019 thanks to federal programs aimed at housing our servicemen and women.
-
Disabling conditions like chronic health issues, mental illness and substance abuse are prevalent among adults experiencing homelessness:
- 26% live with a serious mental illness
- 15% cope with chronic substance abuse
- 13% have a physical disability
- 11% struggle with HIV/AIDS
This data reveals how homelessness disproportionately impacts minorities and disadvantaged groups who face structural barriers to housing access and economic stability. It highlights the need for both broad anti-poverty efforts and specific interventions to aid these vulnerable populations.
Causes: Why Do People Become Homeless?
Homelessness stems from an intricate web of structural and individual factors. But four primary drivers tend to emerge among those who devoted their careers to this work:
1. Lack of Affordable Housing
With housing costs rising across the country, finding an affordable place to live on a low income is extremely challenging. There is a national shortage of over 7 million apartments available and affordable to households earning less than $50,000. When families and individuals cannot find affordable housing, the risk of homelessness rises.
2. Poverty and Unemployment
Job loss or a financial emergency can easily send those living paycheck to paycheck into homelessness. The average monthly income of someone experiencing homelessness is just $500, well below the federal poverty line. Saving up for rent, a security deposit and moving costs is impossible for households in such precarious financial circumstances.
3. Mental Illness and Substance Abuse
About a quarter of the homeless population lives with severe mental illness like schizophrenia, which often coincides with substance abuse. Their conditions worsen without stable housing, even as homelessness also exacerbates their health issues and makes recovery harder.
4. Domestic Violence
Between 22-57% of homeless women report domestic violence as the immediate cause of their homelessness. Without access to financial resources or alternative housing, they are unable to escape abuse and risk homelessness.
Understanding these root causes makes it clear that homelessness is complex but solvable. Lisa Fitzpatrick, a physician who ran a health clinic for the homeless in DC, puts it this way: "Homelessness is a byproduct of upstream systemic failures around poverty, healthcare access, housing affordability, mental health, addiction. We have the means to create solutions if we just invest in proven interventions."
The Cost of Inaction
Failing to address homelessness comes at a high price – both in human terms and economic costs:
-
People experiencing homelessness have much higher rates of physical and mental illness. They die on average 30 years earlier than the general population.
-
Homeless individuals often rely on expensive emergency services for healthcare and shelter. This results in high public costs for things like emergency room visits, jail stays and emergency shelter.
-
The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that communities spend $35,578 per year for each chronically homeless person due to their high use of emergency services. Providing housing with integrated care services would cost just $12,800 per person.
-
People experiencing homelessness have difficulty finding employment due to stigma and logistical barriers. This results in lost productivity and taxes.
-
The high visibility of homeless encampments reduces the economic vitality of neighborhoods by discouraging tourism and business activity.
Reducing homelessness would alleviate tremendous suffering while saving public resources and boosting local economies. It‘s the right thing to do both morally and economically.
Policies and Programs Making a Difference
While homelessness can seem like an intractable issue, significant progress is possible with smart, evidence-based policies. Here are some proven interventions I‘ve seen successfully reduce homelessness:
Housing First
This model provides long-term housing assistance without preconditions like sobriety or counseling. It flips the traditional approach by making stable housing the priority rather than the end goal. Studies show Housing First reduces chronic homelessness faster and at a lower public cost than emergency shelters and transitional housing.
Utah has made landmark strides on homelessness using this model, reducing chronic homelessness by 91% over ten years. Several cities have seen similar success, with homelessness declining by 20-80% after embracing Housing First.
Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing
Short-term financial assistance for rent, utility bills and security deposits can prevent many households from becoming homeless. Rapid re-housing quickly moves people experiencing homelessness to permanent housing through time-limited subsidies and support services.
Prevention programs helped over 1.9 million people avoid homelessness from 2012 to 2017, according to HUD research. Meanwhile, studies find over 80% of people in rapid re-housing programs successfully transition to permanent housing.
Integrated Healthcare
Supportive housing that also provides access to mental healthcare and addiction treatment has achieved strong results. California‘s Whole Person Care program cut healthcare costs by 59% for homeless Medicaid recipients by integrating social services into their healthcare system.
Education and Jobs
Equipping homeless youth with education and skills training helps break the cycle. Organizations like Covenant House offer GED prep classes, vocational training and free on-site high schools to create paths out of poverty.
Local Progress
When communities invest in a combination of these proven strategies tailored to local needs, they see homelessness decline. Houston reduced its homeless population by 63% over 8 years thanks to robust permanent housing programs, doubling of homelessness services funding and strong coordination among agencies.
There Are Solutions – But More Resolve Needed
Reducing homelessness requires deploying proven strategies at a scale that matches the urgency this crisis demands. But trend lines can be reversed even in hard hit regions. Houston‘s recent success shows that results are possible when leaders mobilize the collective will and resources to implement what we know works.
This is an issue very close to my heart. If you feel the same, I encourage you to look up local groups addressing homelessness and get involved as a volunteer or donor. Reach out to your elected representatives and urge them to prioritize evidence-based policies that will get our vulnerable neighbors off the streets. With compassion and commitment, we can build communities where everyone has a place to call home. There are solutions – we just need the resolve to do what it takes. It starts with you and me.
Let‘s take the first step together.
Sources
- Annual Homeless Assessment Report, Department of Housing and Urban Development
- National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH)
- National Coalition for the Homeless
- National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)
- US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH)
- OECD Affordable Housing Database
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)
- Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
- Covenant House
- Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies
