Facts

National Facts on Homelessness

Homelessness remains an ongoing tragedy that affects every community, but with accurate data and targeted investments in effective programs homelessness is a problem we can solve.

• In 2010, at the point-in-time the study was done, about 650,000 people are homeless on any given night across the United States.
• Over the course of 2010, more than 1.59 million people spent at least 1 night in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program during the 2010 reporting period, a 2.2 percent increase from 2009.
• In 2010 a total of 79,446 family households, including 241,951 persons in families were homeless.
• People who were homeless in families-that is, in the over 79,000 homeless households with at least one adult and one child-comprise 37 percent of the people observed during the Point-in-Time count.

For more information, click here.

Top Reasons that Lead to Homelessness:

1. Unforeseen economic crisis
2. Job loss
3. Foreclosure
4. Serious medical condition
5. Death in the family

Washington, DC Area Facts on Homelessness

• As of January 27-31, 2011, 11,988 people throughout the Washington, DC region indicated that they were homeless.
• In 2010, a total of 11,774 people throughout the region were homeless.
• The Washington, DC region's homeless population has increased by 2% from 2010.
• Attributed to the region's 2% increase is the economy and the depletion of federal funds for homeless prevention and rapid re-housing programs.
• 38% of all homeless adults in families and 20% of homeless single individuals are employed.
• Children represent 61% of all people in homeless families and account for 27% of the region's homeless population.
• In DC, 6,546 people are without homes including 858 homeless families comprising 1,068 adults and 1,620 children.

For more information, click here.

This information is from the Fannie Mae Help the Homeless website.

Information under National Facts on Homelessness section provided by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress.

Information under Washington, DC Area section provided by The 2011 Count of Homeless Persons in Metropolitan Washington report prepared by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Homeless Services Planning and Coordinating Committee.