The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

each night. About 15 percent of those are chronically homeless, meaning they have
been without a home for years.
Racial minorities comprise a significant percentage of the population experiencing
homelessness. While African Americans represent about 12.5 percent of the general
population, they represent over 40 percent of the homeless population.
In some communities, there has been a significant increase in the population of Latinos
facing homelessness. Many experience acute fear or face unique obstacles as a result
of their uncertain legal status. Consider Hector, a homeless man in New York who does
not utilize shelter services because he is afraid that he will be identified and then
deported. He lives near the train tracks along with several others who have refused to
enter shelters since President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Military veterans confront homelessness at an alarming rate. More than 10 percent of
the adult homeless population has served in the military.
Survivors of domestic violence also experience high rates of homelessness. A recent
study in Minnesota showed that 35 percent of homeless women reported domestic
abuse as a cause.
A 2017 nationwide survey revealed that, on a given night, almost 41,000 people
experiencing homelessness were 24 years old or younger, 12 percent of whom were
below age 18. Many of these young people have suffered significant trauma. Youth who
identify as LGBTQ, have special needs or disabilities, or are pregnant or parenting are
also more likely to become homeless.
Half of those experiencing homelessness have a physical or mental disability, or both.
2. The criminalization of homelessness is growing.
Hundreds of jurisdictions across the U.S. have criminalized homelessness, and the
trend shows no signs of abating. Laws criminalizing homelessness have multiplied in
the last 10 years in 187 studied cities. The report calls out several jurisdictions in a “Hall
of Shame” section, including Honolulu, Denver, and Dallas.
In 2016, Honolulu adopted a spate of laws that target homeless people, and police
ramped up enforcement of these “quality of life” ordinances. Why? Pressure from the
business and tourism industry, which in the past has funded airfare to the mainland for
homeless people who came to Hawaii.
In Denver, the state’s 76 largest cities have, as a group, passed 351 ordinances that
target homeless people, including bans on camping and bans on sharing food outside.
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