On a single night in 2023, a jarring 653,104 Americans had no place to call home, a number that reveals not just a statistic but a profound and growing crisis woven from soaring rents, systemic inequities, and personal tragedy.
Key Takeaways
- On January 25, 2023, the Point-in-Time (PIT) count identified 653,104 people experiencing homelessness across the United States.
- The 2023 PIT count showed a 12% increase in overall homelessness from 2022, totaling 653,104 individuals.
- In 2023, 232,323 people were in sheltered locations, representing 36% of the total homeless population.
- Adult men make up 60.4% of the homeless population in 2023.
- Adult women represent 39.6% of homeless adults in 2023 PIT.
- Black/African American individuals are 32% of the homeless population despite being 13% of the U.S. population.
- Eviction is the immediate cause for 13% of homeless.
- Lack of affordable housing drives 70% of homelessness cases.
- Poverty affects 2 in 3 homeless families.
- Homeless individuals die 30 years earlier on average.
- 28% of homeless have HIV/AIDS vs. 0.4% general.
- Mental health untreated in 70% of homeless.
- Housing First reduces ER visits by 50%.
- HUD's Continuum of Care program funded $3.2B in 2023.
- Rapid Re-Housing assisted 300,000+ since 2013.
Homelessness in America has reached a new high and is devastating communities nationwide.
Causes
- Eviction is the immediate cause for 13% of homeless.
- Lack of affordable housing drives 70% of homelessness cases.
- Poverty affects 2 in 3 homeless families.
- Unemployment rate among homeless: 45% in recent studies.
- Low wages: median homeless worker earns $13k/year.
- Substance abuse contributes to 38% of chronic homelessness.
- Mental illness leads to homelessness in 25% of cases.
- Domestic violence causes 23% of family homelessness.
- Foster care exit leads to 20-25% of youth homelessness.
- Incarceration release without housing: 15% become homeless.
- Medical debt and costs cause 10% of homelessness.
- Natural disasters displace 1% but amplify in vulnerable.
- Gambling addiction in 10% of homeless men.
- Relationship breakdown: 25% cite family conflict.
- Rent burden >50% income for 75% at risk.
- Wage stagnation since 2000 increased risk by 20%.
- Foreclosure crisis 2008 spiked family homelessness 20%.
- COVID evictions moratorium end led to 2022 spike.
- Shortage of 7 million affordable units.
- In CA, 75% homeless due to housing costs.
- Addiction recovery failure: 30% relapse to streets.
- Untreated schizophrenia: 30% homeless rate.
- Child welfare involvement: 30% of homeless families.
- Rising rents 30% since 2010 outpace wages.
- Systemic racism doubles Black eviction rates.
- 50% of homeless report trauma history.
Causes Interpretation
America's homelessness crisis is a predictable symphony of systemic failure where poverty, low wages, and a dire lack of affordable housing compose the main movement, while evictions, untreated illness, and personal trauma provide the devastating crescendos.
Demographics
- Adult men make up 60.4% of the homeless population in 2023.
- Adult women represent 39.6% of homeless adults in 2023 PIT.
- Black/African American individuals are 32% of the homeless population despite being 13% of the U.S. population.
- Hispanic/Latino people comprise 30% of homeless in 2023.
- Non-Hispanic White individuals are 20% of the homeless population.
- Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander are overrepresented at 12% of homeless vs. 0.2% general pop.
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 3% homeless, 1% general population.
- 52% of homeless parenting adults are Black women.
- Children under 18 make up 19% of homeless families in 2023.
- Unaccompanied youth aged 18-24: 3.7% of total homeless.
- Veterans are 5% of homeless population in 2023.
- In families, 34% of homeless adults have children under 6.
- LGBTQ+ youth are 34% of homeless youth population per 2012 survey.
- 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ.
- Black homeless adults are 50% more likely to be unsheltered.
- In 2023, 22% of homeless were age 55+.
- Seniors (55+) unsheltered rate: 33% in 2023.
- Native Americans experience homelessness at 1.7 times the rate of whites.
- Asian Americans: 3% homeless, under 1% overrepresentation.
- Multiracial individuals: 6% of homeless in 2023.
- In 2023, 7% of homeless were limited English proficient.
- Domestic violence affects 38% of homeless mothers.
- Foster care alumni are 20% of homeless adults.
- 25% of homeless women experienced sexual assault recently.
- Justice-involved individuals: 33% of homeless recently incarcerated.
- In NYC, 80% of homeless families are Black or Hispanic.
- LA homeless: 37% Black, 34% Latino, 23% White.
- 50% of homeless have disabilities.
- Mental illness in 20-25% of homeless population.
Demographics Interpretation
While the statistics paint a starkly diverse portrait of American homelessness—disproportionately impacting men, veterans, Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ individuals—they collectively reveal a system that fails most brutally along the fault lines of race, gender, and trauma.
Impacts
- Homeless individuals die 30 years earlier on average.
- 28% of homeless have HIV/AIDS vs. 0.4% general.
- Mental health untreated in 70% of homeless.
- Emergency room visits: homeless 5x higher per capita.
- Substance use disorder prevalence: 38% homeless.
- Suicide rate 3.5x higher among homeless.
- Chronic diseases like diabetes 2x rate in homeless.
- Homeless youth 40% more likely to drop out school.
- Cost to society: $35k/year per chronic homeless vs. $12k housed.
- Jail incarceration 50x higher for homeless.
- Child homelessness leads to 87% higher behavior issues.
- Homeless families cost public schools $100M+ extra.
- Violence victimization 13x higher for homeless women.
- Homeless veterans PTSD rate 60%.
- Life expectancy for homeless: 47 years men, 43 women.
- Homeless contribute to 10% of Medicaid costs disproportionately.
- 25% of homeless children repeat a grade.
- Public service costs: $50B annually for homelessness.
- Homelessness increases crime victimization by 200%.
- Maternal homelessness doubles low birth weight babies.
- Elder homeless frostbite 16% prevalence.
Impacts Interpretation
The statistics form a brutal ledger proving that homelessness is not a personal failing but a societal one, where we pay exponentially more in both dollars and human suffering to maintain a state of preventable crisis than we ever would to solve it.
Interventions
- Housing First reduces ER visits by 50%.
- HUD's Continuum of Care program funded $3.2B in 2023.
- Rapid Re-Housing assisted 300,000+ since 2013.
- PSH ends chronic homelessness for 85% of participants.
- VA's HUD-VASH vouchers housed 100,000 veterans.
- Family reunification programs succeed 70%.
- Youth PSH retention 90% after 2 years.
- Eviction prevention grants avert 40% homelessness.
- Street outreach contacts 1M homeless annually.
- Shelter beds: 300,000 nationwide in 2023.
- Ending chronic homelessness reduced 30% since 2007.
- LIHTC produced 3M affordable units since 1986.
- Section 8 vouchers cover 2M households.
- Opening Doors strategy housed 500,000 since 2010.
- By-Name Lists track 90% of homeless in CoCs.
- Coordinated Entry Systems in 90% of CoCs.
- Prevention diverts 80% from shelter entry.
- Housing First costs 40% less long-term.
- 988 Lifeline connects 10% to housing services.
- Project Homekey CA created 15,000 units.
- NYC Housing Connect placed 5,000 families.
- LA Inside Safe housed 2,000 since 2022.
Interventions Interpretation
While we have effective tools—like Housing First slashing ER costs and permanent supportive housing proving 85% successful—these statistics highlight a frustrating truth: we know the precise, cost-effective solutions to homelessness, yet lack the collective will to fund and implement them at the scale the crisis demands.
Prevalence
- On January 25, 2023, the Point-in-Time (PIT) count identified 653,104 people experiencing homelessness across the United States.
- The 2023 PIT count showed a 12% increase in overall homelessness from 2022, totaling 653,104 individuals.
- In 2023, 232,323 people were in sheltered locations, representing 36% of the total homeless population.
- Unsheltered homelessness affected 420,781 people in 2023, or 64% of the total.
- California's 2023 PIT count reported 181,399 homeless individuals, the highest in the nation.
- New York had 91,271 homeless people counted in 2023 PIT.
- Florida's 2023 PIT estimated 25,941 homeless individuals.
- Washington's 2023 count was 24,622 homeless people.
- In 2023, 28 states and territories saw increases in homelessness over 2022.
- The national unsheltered rate was 64% in 2023, up from 60% in 2022.
- From 2007 to 2023, overall homelessness decreased by 10.8%, but chronic homelessness increased.
- In 2022, approximately 582,462 people experienced homelessness on a single night.
- The PIT count in 2020 was 580,466 due to COVID adjustments.
- Continuum of Care (CoC) jurisdictions numbered 444 in the 2023 PIT.
- Family homelessness represented 32% of the total in 2023 PIT.
- Individual adults without children comprised 59% of homeless in 2023.
- In 2023, 18,366 unaccompanied youth were counted homeless.
- Parenting youth numbered 790 in the 2023 PIT count.
- New York City sheltered over 90,000 in 2023.
- Los Angeles County PIT 2023 counted 75,518 homeless.
- Seattle/King County 2023 PIT: 13,368 homeless.
- Denver 2023 PIT: 6,539 homeless individuals.
- Atlanta 2023 PIT: 2,975 homeless.
- Chicago 2023 PIT: approximately 5,691 unsheltered.
- Hawaii 2023 PIT: 6,001 homeless.
- From 2019-2023, homelessness rose 18% nationally.
- 2023 PIT showed 152,585 chronically homeless individuals.
- Veterans experienced a 7.5% decrease to 35,000 homeless in 2023.
- In 2023, 40,589 were homeless with serious mental illness.
- 95,294 homeless individuals had severe substance use disorders in 2023 PIT.
Prevalence Interpretation
While it's a statistical step forward that we've nearly housed the entire population of Washington, D.C., the fact that over 420,000 Americans are sleeping under the stars tonight is a national disgrace dressed up as data.
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