The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

1National Estimates
Homelessness in the United States
Data source: PIT 2007–2017
EXHIBIT 1.5: Change in Homelessness
By Age and Sheltered Status, 2016–2017
All Homeless
People
Sheltered
People
Unsheltered
People
# % # % # %
Total 3,814 0.7% -12,704 -3.4% 16,518 9.4%
Under 18 -5,990 -5.0% -5,577 -5.1% -413 -3.5%
18 to 24 3,437 6.9% -1,539 -4.6% 4,976 29.8%
Over 24 6,367 1.7% -5,588 -2.4% 11,955 8.1%
Since 2016
• Homelessness increased by one percent (or
3,814 people) overall between 2016 and 2017.
• An increase in people staying in unsheltered
locations accounts for the entire overall
increase. Although the number of people
staying in emergency shelters or transitional
housing programs decreased for the third
straight year (by 12,704 people, or 3%
between 2016 and 2017), the number of people
experiencing homelessness in unsheltered
locations increased for a second straight year
(by 16,518 people, or 9% between 2016 and
2017).
• Homelessness declined among children but
increased among adults, especially younger
adults. The number of children experiencing
homelessness declined by five percent (5,990
people), but homelessness increased by seven
percent (3,437) among those ages 18 to 24 and
by two percent (6,367) among those ages 24
and older.
An increase in people staying in
unsheltered locations accounted
for the entire increase in people
experiencing homelessness
between 2016 and 2017.
• Homelessness declined among women but
increased among both men and people
identifying as transgender. The number of
women experiencing homelessness declined
by one percent (1,559 people), while the
number of men increased by one percent (4,148
people) and the number of transgender people
experiencing homelessness increased by 18
percent (or 322 people).
• The number of people experiencing
homelessness who identified as Hispanic or
Latino declined between 2016 and 2017, by
two percent overall (or 1,880 people) and by
14 percent for sheltered people (or 12,141).
However, the number of people who were
Hispanic and staying in unsheltered locations
increased by 30 percent (or 10,261 people)
between 2016 and 2017.
• The number of people experiencing
homelessness increased overall among people
who identified as African American (by 5%),
and declined slightly among people who
identified as white (by 2%).
• The number of people experiencing
homelessness in unsheltered locations increased
for all racial groups except for those who identify
as Pacific Islander or multi-racial. The largest
increases were among people who identified as
Asian (44%) and African American (23%).
Since 2007
• Homelessness declined by 14 percent (93,516
people) overall between 2007 and 2017.
• Despite the increase in people experiencing
homelessness in unsheltered locations between
2016 and 2017, the decline in homelessness
over the longer period, 2007-2017, reflected
the large decreases among people staying
in unsheltered locations. The number of
unsheltered people declined by 25 percent
(62,982 people) over the ten-year period, while
the number staying in emergency shelters or
transitional housing programs declined by
eight percent (30,534 people).
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