Veteran and Unsheltered Homeless Numbers Tumble

Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Housing andrnUrban Development (HUD) told the Interagency Council on Homelessness on Tuesdayrnthat homelessness in the country declined 2.1 percent between 2010 andrn2011.  The estimate is based on the annualrn”point in time” survey conducted on a single night each January in 3000 citiesrnand communities.  Donovan himselfrnparticipated in the 2011 count.</p

The survey found 636,017 homeless peoplerncompared to 649,917 in January 2010 and 671,888 in January 2007.  The number of homeless veterans fell nearly 12rnpercent, a reduction of 8,834 homeless over the preceding year.  HUD and the Veterans Administration havernpioneered several joint programs aimed at homeless vets since 2009. </p

The number of homeless individualsrndeclined by 13,900 or 2 percent and 5.6 percent since 2007 and the number ofrnhomeless families declined 2.8 and 8 percent during the same two periods.  The unsheltered homeless population hasrndropped by 13 percent or 36,800 persons since 2007 while the number of personsrnexperiencing chronic homelessness was down 2.4 percent or 2,664 from Januaryrn2010 and 13.5 percent (16,635) since 2007.  This steep reduction in chronic homelessness wasrnattributed by HUD to an increase in the supply of permanent supportive housingrnunits which have increased by more than 30,000 beds since 2010 and by 83,000rnbeds since 2007.</p

 Five states accounted for half of the nation'srntotal homeless population: California (21.4 percent); New York (10 percent);rnFlorida (8.9 percent); Texas (5.8 percent); and Georgia (3.3 percent).</p

Donovan said of thernnumbers, “It's remarkable that in the wake of the most serious economic crisisrnsince the Great Depression, we're witnessing an across-the-board drop inrnhomelessness.  This tells us that the Obama Administration's homelessnessrnstrategy is working and the results spur us to continue working to endrnhomelessness in America once and for all.” </p

Secretary of Veterans Affairs EricrnK. Shinseki, a member of the Council said, “Reducingrnhomelessness among Veterans by 12 percent since January 2010 is a clear sign ofrnprogress, but our work is not complete until no Veteran has to sleep on thernstreet”  

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