In 2023, there were about ******* homeless people estimated to be living in the United States, the highest number of homeless people recorded within the provided time period. In comparison, the second-highest number of homeless people living in the U.S. within this time period was in 2007, at *******. How is homelessness calculated? Calculating homelessness is complicated for several different reasons. For one, it is challenging to determine how many people are homeless as there is no direct definition for homelessness. Additionally, it is difficult to try and find every single homeless person that exists. Sometimes they cannot be reached, leaving people unaccounted for. In the United States, the Department of Housing and Urban Development calculates the homeless population by counting the number of people on the streets and the number of people in homeless shelters on one night each year. According to this count, Los Angeles City and New York City are the cities with the most homeless people in the United States. Homelessness in the United States Between 2022 and 2023, New Hampshire saw the highest increase in the number of homeless people. However, California was the state with the highest number of homeless people, followed by New York and Florida. The vast amount of homelessness in California is a result of multiple factors, one of them being the extreme high cost of living, as well as opposition to mandatory mental health counseling and drug addiction. However, the District of Columbia had the highest estimated rate of homelessness per 10,000 people in 2023. This was followed by New York, Vermont, and Oregon.

Table of homeless population by Year (for years 2009 through 2012)

Homelessness is a social crisis in the United States of America. According to McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act, homeless people are those who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. "Ratio of Homeless Population to General Population in major US Cities in 2012.

The graph displays the top 15 states by an estimated number of homeless people in the United States for the year 2025. The x-axis represents U.S. states, while the y-axis shows the number of homeless individuals in each state. California has the highest homeless population with 187,084 individuals, followed by New York with 158,019, while Hawaii places last in this dataset with 11,637. This bar graph highlights significant differences across states, with some states like California and New York showing notably higher counts compared to others, indicating regional disparities in homelessness levels across the country.

When analyzing the ratio of homelessness to state population, New York, Vermont, and Oregon had the highest rates in 2023. However, Washington, D.C. had an estimated ** homeless individuals per 10,000 people, which was significantly higher than any of the 50 states. Homeless people by race The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development performs homeless counts at the end of January each year, which includes people in both sheltered and unsheltered locations. The estimated number of homeless people increased to ******* in 2023 – the highest level since 2007. However, the true figure is likely to be much higher, as some individuals prefer to stay with family or friends - making it challenging to count the actual number of homeless people living in the country. In 2023, nearly half of the people experiencing homelessness were white, while the number of Black homeless people exceeded *******. How many veterans are homeless in America? The  number of homeless veterans in the United States has halved since 2010. The state of California, which is currently suffering a homeless crisis, accounted for the highest number of homeless veterans in 2022. There are many causes of homelessness among veterans of the U.S. military, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse problems, and a lack of affordable housing.

"Ratio of Homeless Population to General Population in major US Cities in 2011. *This represents a list of large U.S. cities for which DHS was able to confirm a recent estimate of the unsheltered population. A 2011 result is available for Seattle, WA, Miami, FL, and Boston, MA.. 2011 results are not yet available for the other cities, and their 2009 data are displayed in this chart. General population figures are 2010 estimates in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, and 2009 estimates elsewhere."

This dataset provides information on individuals experiencing sheltered or unsheltered homelessness in the Austin/Travis County Continuum of Care (CoC) on a single night in January when the Point in Time (PIT) Count occurs. "Sheltered" homelessness refers to individuals residing in emergency shelter, safe haven, or transitional housing project types. Unsheltered homelessness refers to individuals with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground on the night designated for the count. This measure overlaps, but is different from, the annual count of sheltered homelessness in HMIS (SD23 Measure EOA.E.1b). Data Source: The data for this measure was reported to the City of Austin by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO). Each year, ECHO, as the homeless Continuum of Care Lead Agency (CoC Lead), aggregates and reports community wide data (including this measure) to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This data is referred to as System Performance Measures as they are designed to examine how well a community is responding to homelessness at a system level. View more details and insights related to this data set on the story page: https://data.austintexas.gov/stories/s/hjiv-t2tm Last Updated December 2020 with data for 2020 PIT Count.

The graph displays the estimated number of homeless people in the United States from 2007 to 2024. The x-axis represents the years, ranging from 2007 to 2023, while the y-axis indicates the number of homeless individuals. The estimated homeless population varies over this period, ranging from a low of 57,645 in 2014 to a high of 771,000 in 2024. From 2007 to 2013, there is a general decline in numbers from 647,258 to 590,364. In 2014, the number drops significantly to 57,645, followed by an increase to 564,708 in 2015. The data shows fluctuations in subsequent years, with another notable low of 55,283 in 2018. From 2019 onwards, the estimated number of homeless people generally increases, reaching its peak in 2024. This data highlights fluctuations in homelessness estimates over the years, with a recent upward trend in the homeless population.

As of 2023, there were about 32,680 unsheltered homeless people living in Los Angeles, compared to 13,580 sheltered homeless people.

City staff and community partners work together to survey people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa. So far, the City has led two counts:April 2018October 2021Oct 2024The survey is conducted to gather information about people experiencing homelessness. The goal of this work is to guide new approaches to address homelessness at a local level and help in the planning and delivery of services.Date created: 28 April 2022Update frequency: As needed.Accuracy: Convenience sampling was used to recruit survey respondents. This method of recruiting respondents to answer the survey does not rely on a random selection process. Instead, surveyors approach potential respondents if they are close by at the time the surveyor is delivering the questionnaire. Many factors could determine participation in the survey including:Number of community partners involved in the PiT countLocation of surveyors and their physical proximity to potential respondentsNumber of engagement eventsSeason the survey was conductedDifferences in results between PiT count years may be due to changes within the homeless population and shifts in methodology. For comparisons of emergency shelter use over time, visit the Temporary Emergency Accommodations Dashboard. An analysis of factors related to housing and homelessness during COVID-19 provides context for unique housing market conditions during the pandemic.Results shown in the Survey results: Point-in-Time count dashboard are presented by sector. The name and definition of each sector are below:All: All respondents who answered the surveySingle adult: Respondents aged 25 years or older and not accompanied by anyoneUnaccompanied youth: Respondents under 25 years old and not accompanied by anyoneFamily: Respondents accompanied by children under 18 years oldAttributes:Question: The question that was asked in the surveyTopic: The classification of the survey question by themSector: Refers to the population (total, family, unaccompanied youth, single adults)Period: Month the Point-in-Time count was conductedResponse: Response category of the survey questionNumeratorDenominatorPercentage Author: Housing ServicesAuthor email: pitcount_denombrementponctuel@ottawa.ca

This dataset represents the number of persons who successfully exit from homelessness in a given fiscal year in the Austin/Travis County Continuum of Care (CoC). This measure is comprised of Metric 7b1 and 7b2 from the HUD System Performance Measures. Data Source: The data for this measure was reported to the City of Austin by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO). Each year, ECHO, as the homeless Continuum of Care Lead Agency (CoC Lead), aggregates and reports community wide data (including this measure) to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This data is referred to as System Performance Measures as they are designed to examine how well a community is responding to homelessness at a system level. View more details and insights related to this data set on the story page: https://data.austintexas.gov/stories/s/xtip-he7k

In 2023, there were an estimated ******* white homeless people in the United States, the most out of any ethnicity. In comparison, there were around ******* Black or African American homeless people in the U.S. How homelessness is counted The actual number of homeless individuals in the U.S. is difficult to measure. The Department of Housing and Urban Development uses point-in-time estimates, where employees and volunteers count both sheltered and unsheltered homeless people during the last 10 days of January. However, it is very likely that the actual number of homeless individuals is much higher than the estimates, which makes it difficult to say just how many homeless there are in the United States. Unsheltered homeless in the United States California is well-known in the U.S. for having a high homeless population, and Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego all have high proportions of unsheltered homeless people. While in many states, the Department of Housing and Urban Development says that there are more sheltered homeless people than unsheltered, this estimate is most likely in relation to the method of estimation.

This statistic depicts the rate of homeless individuals in the United States in 2017, by metropolitan area. In 2017, the rate of homelessness per 10,000 individuals was highest in New York City, at 88.7.

Yearly statewide and by-Continuum of Care total counts of individuals receiving homeless response services by age group, race, gender, veteran status, and disability status.

This data comes from the Homelessness Data Integration System (HDIS), a statewide data warehouse which compiles and processes data from all 44 California Continuums of Care (CoC)—regional homelessness service coordination and planning bodies. Each CoC collects data about the people it serves through its programs, such as homelessness prevention services, street outreach services, permanent housing interventions and a range of other strategies aligned with California’s Housing First objectives.

The dataset uploaded reflects the 2024 HUD Data Standard Changes. Previously, Race and Ethnicity are separate files but are now combined.

Information updated as of 2/06/2025.

This dataset provides estimates for the total number of people experiencing homelessness as the sum of the sheltered population (the total number of people staying in emergency shelter, transitional housing, or safe haven programs on the night of the point-in-time count) and the unsheltered population (the total number of people counted by volunteers and the estimated number of people sleeping in the dwellings counted by volunteers) per census tract in 2019. Information like this may be useful for studying homeless populations.(1) The total number of people experiencing homelessness who slept in an emergency shelter, transitional housing, or safe haven program was reported to LAHSA by each provider and assigned to a census tract. For shelter programs with multiple scattered sites in the LA CoC, an administrative address is used for locating the sheltered population in this dashboard. Shelters that serve persons fleeing domestic or intimate partner violence are excluded due to confidentiality concerns. Persons receiving motel vouchers are excluded in this dashboard because the location of the motel is unknown. (2) The total number of people experiencing homelessness who slept on the street or in a dwelling not meant for human habitation were counted by volunteers on January 22nd, 23rd, or 24th. 3,873 demographic survey interviews were conducted with persons experiencing unsheltered homelessness from December 2018 to March 2019 to describe the population’s demographics and approximate the number of people in each dwelling. The total persons in uninhabitable dwellings was estimated for each type (car, van, camper/RV, tent, or makeshift shelter) and was estimated at the SPA-level for individual and for family households and can be found on our website. Estimates of the people inside these dwellings was rounded to whole numbers for the purposes of this dashboard.Spatial Extent: Los Angeles CountySpatial Unit: Census TractCreated: 2019Updated: n/aSource: Los Angeles Homeless Services AuthorityContact Telephone: 213-683-3333Contact Email: datasupport@lahsa.orgSource Link:https://www.lahsa.orgAPI Source Link: https://geohub.lacity.org/datasets/homeless-count-los-angeles-county-2019?geometry=-120.792%2C33.011%2C-115.783%2C34.609

INTRODUCTION: As California’s homeless population continues to grow at an alarming rate, large metropolitan regions like the San Francisco Bay Area face unique challenges in coordinating efforts to track and improve homelessness. As an interconnected region of nine counties with diverse community needs, identifying homeless population trends across San Francisco Bay Area counties can help direct efforts more effectively throughout the region, and inform initiatives to improve homelessness at the city, county, and metropolitan level. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this research is to compare the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) counts of homelessness across San Francisco Bay Area counties between the years 2018-2022. The secondary objective of this research is to compare the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) counts of homelessness among different age groups in each of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties between the years 2018-2022. METHODS: Two datasets were used to conduct research. The first dataset (Dataset 1) contains Point-in-Time (PIT) homeless counts published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Dataset 1 was cleaned using Microsoft Excel and uploaded to Tableau Desktop Public Edition 2022.4.1 as a CSV file. The second dataset (Dataset 2) was published by Data SF and contains shapefiles of geographic boundaries of San Francisco Bay Area counties. Both datasets were joined in Tableau Desktop Public Edition 2022.4 and all data analysis was conducted using Tableau visualizations in the form of bar charts, highlight tables, and maps. RESULTS: Alameda, San Francisco, and Santa Clara counties consistently reported the highest annual count of people experiencing homelessness across all 5 years between 2018-2022. Alameda, Napa, and San Mateo counties showed the largest increase in homelessness between 2018 and 2022. Alameda County showed a significant increase in homeless individuals under the age of 18. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this research reveal both stark and fluctuating differences in homeless counts among San Francisco Bay Area Counties over time, suggesting that a regional approach that focuses on collaboration across counties and coordination of services could prove beneficial for improving homelessness throughout the region. Results suggest that more immediate efforts to improve homelessness should focus on the counties of Alameda, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Mateo. Changes in homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020-2022 point to an urgent need to support Contra Costa County.

According to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's definition, homelessness includes individuals and families who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. A homeless count provides a "snapshot in time" to quantify the size of the homeless population at a specific point during the year. Regardless of how successful outreach efforts are, an undercount of people experiencing homelessness is possible. Counts includes persons experiencing unsheltered and sheltered homelessness. Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count occurred in the nights of February 22, 23 and 24, 2022. Glendale's count occurred in the morning and evening of February 25, 2022. Long Beach's count occurred in the early morning of February 24, 2022. Pasadena's count occurred in the evening of February 22, 2022 and morning of February 23, 2022. Data not available for Los Angeles City neighborhoods and unincorporated Los Angeles County; LAHSA does not recommend aggregating census tract-level data to calculate numbers for other geographic levels.Housing affordability is a major concern for many Los Angeles County residents. Housing burden can increase the risk for homelessness. Individuals experiencing homelessness experience disproportionately higher rates of certain health conditions, such as tuberculosis, HIV infection, alcohol and drug abuse, and mental illness. Barriers to accessing care and limited access to resources contribute greatly to these observed disparities.For more information about the Community Health Profiles Data Initiative, please see the initiative homepage.

Each year, homeless coalitions across the country conduct a Point in Time Count (PIT) during the same 24-hour period in January to estimate the number of persons experiencing homelessness living in their region. The PIT count includes those living in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, and those living unsheltered on the street. The PIT count does not include homeless families and youth who are doubled up with family or friends, or those at imminent risk of becoming homeless. The numbers are a “snapshot” on a single day rather than a definitive count. Despite these limitations, the count helps communities plan for programs and services, identifies gaps in the homeless system, and provides demographic information about populations who experience homelessness.

This dataset includes key measures that have been counted during each PIT since 2019. This dataset will be updated annually.

OverviewThese are the Homeless Counts for 2020 as provided by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), and the cities of Glendale, Pasadena, and Long Beach. The majority of this data comes from LAHSA using tract-level counts; the cities of Glendale, Pasadena, and Long Beach did not have tract-level counts available. The purpose of this layer is to depict homeless density at a community scale. Please read the note from LAHSA below regarding the tract level counts. In this layer LAHSA's tract-level population count was rounded to the nearest whole number, and density was determined per square mile of each community. It should be noted that not all of the sub-populations captured from LAHSA (eg. people living in vans, unaccompanied minors, etc.) are not captured here; only sheltered, unsheltered, and total population. Data generated on 12/2/20.Countywide Statistical AreasLos Angeles County's 'Countywide Statistical Areas' layer was used to classify the city / community names. Since this is tract-level data there are several times where a tract is in more than one city/community. Whatever the majority of the coverage of a tract is, that is the community that got coded. The boundaries of these communities follow aggregated tract boundaries and will therefore often deviate from the 'Countywide Statistical Area' boundaries.Note from LAHSALAHSA does not recommend aggregating census tract-level data to calculate numbers for other geographic levels. Due to rounding, the census tract-level data may not add up to the total for Los Angeles City Council District, Supervisorial District, Service Planning Area, or the Los Angeles Continuum of Care.The Los Angeles Continuum of Care does not include the Cities of Long Beach, Glendale, and Pasadena and will not equal the countywide Homeless Count Total.Street Count Data include persons found outside, including persons found living in cars, vans, campers/RVs, tents, and makeshift shelters. A conversion factor list can be found at https://www.lahsa.org/homeless-count/Please visit https://www.lahsa.org/homeless-count/home to view and download data.Last updated 07/16/2020