The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

studies. Half of this population self-medicate and are at further risk for addiction and
poor physical health. A University of Pennsylvania study tracking nearly 5,000 homeless
people for two years discovered that investing in comprehensive health support and
treatment of physical and mental illnesses is less costly than incarceration, shelter and
hospital services for the untreated homeless.
Fact 10: Cities are increasingly making homelessness a crime. A 2014 survey of
187 cities by the NLCHP found that 24 percent of cities make it a city-wide crime to beg
in public, 33 percent make it illegal to stand around or loiter anyplace in the city, 18
percent make it a crime to sleep anywhere in public, 43 percent make it illegal to sleep
in your car, and 53 percent make it illegal to sit or lie down in particular public places.
And the number of cities criminalizing homelessness is steadily increasing.
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Facts on Homelessness
Scope of Homelessness in the United States
On a single night in January 2017, there were 553,742 people experiencing
homelessness in the United States; 65% were sheltered individuals and 35% were
unsheltered individuals.
20% of those experiencing
homelessness (114,829
individuals) were children under the
age of 18.
10% (53,438 individuals) were
between the ages of 18 and 24.
Of the 168,257 youth (people under
24), 40,799 were unaccompanied.
12% (4,800) of unaccompanied
youth were minors under the age of
18.
“Unaccompanied youth were
more likely to be unsheltered
(55%) than both all people
experiencing homelessness (35%) and all people experiencing
homelessness as individuals (48%).”
70% (385,475) were 25 years old or older.
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