These 48 major US cities face growing homeless populations
Sheltering the homeless: These 48 major US cities face growing homeless populations
Thomas C. Frohlich
24/7 Wall Street
Oct. 7, 2019
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The number of people experiencing homelessness in the United States in 2018 increased for the second consecutive year.
In 2017, homelessness had increased for the first time in seven years. On a single night last year, more than half a million Americans lacked permanent shelter, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
A significant number of people staying in sheltered locations in January 2018 about 4,000 were likely displaced by presidentially declared national disasters, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate.
The problem of homelessness is at its root a problem of affordable housing. According to statistics compiled by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 11 million low-income households spend half or more of their annual income on housing.
As housing prices especially in large cities continue to rise faster than incomes, more people are likely to become homeless.
There are serious health risks associated with homelessness, which increases exposure to weather and disease.
Homelessness can also lead to and is often accompanied by untreated medical issues, mental illness, social isolation, and increased risk of substance use disorders.
While the number of families with children experiencing homelessness declined between 2017 and 2018, a large share of the countrys homeless population are children.
More than 180,000 people in families with children and approximately 36,000 individuals under 25 experienced homelessness.
Among the myriad of government anti-poverty programs is the Continuum of Care Program, which was designed by HUD to promote community efforts across the nation to end homelessness.
Federal funds are dispersed through these jurisdictions to the communities they contain cities, counties, and sometimes entire states.
Using data provided by HUD, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the estimated total number of individuals experiencing homelessness in the 48 HUD jurisdictions (Continuums of Care) representing the 50 largest cities in America.
City population data is for the city proper and came from the U.S. Census Bureaus 2018 American Community Survey. Cities are ranked by total population, in ascending order.
To identify the cities with the most unsheltered homeless people, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) for the 48 Continuums of Care (CoC) identified as major cities.
The CoCs identified as major cities with the highest percentage of their overall homeless population that is unsheltered were considered the cities with the most unsheltered homeless people.
The AHAR defines CoCs as local planning bodies responsible for coordinating the full range of homelessness services in a geographic area, which may cover a city, county, metropolitan area, or an entire state.
Homeless populations for each CoC are estimated during one night in the last week of January each year. Shelters include emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, safe havens, rapid re-housing programs, permanent supportive housing programs, and other permanent housing programs.
The percentage of homeless people in families, in families with children, and the level of chronic homelessness individuals who have been homeless for one year or more also came from the HUD.
Total population for the city proper is from the 2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. All other data is from the 2018 AHAR report.
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48. Kansas City, Missouri
Note: Estimate includes Jackson County, Missouri and Wyandotte County, Kansas
Homeless population: 1,798 (includes 324 unsheltered)
City population: 151,042
47. New Orleans, Louisiana
Note: Estimate includes Jefferson Parish
Homeless population: 1,188 (includes 594 unsheltered)
City population: 388,182
46. Wichita, Kansas
Note: Estimate includes Sedgwick County
Homeless population: 573 (includes 58 unsheltered)
City population: 389,054
45. Tulsa, Oklahoma
Note: Estimate includes city & county of Tulsa
Homeless population: 1,083 (includes 226 unsheltered)
City population: 401,352
44. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Note: Estimate includes Hennepin County
Homeless population: 3,013 (includes 404 unsheltered)
City population: 411,452
43. Oakland, Berkeley, California
Note: Estimate includes Alameda County
Homeless population: 5,496 (includes 3,863 unsheltered)
City population: 417,442
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42. Miami, Florida
Note: Estimate includes Dade County
Homeless population: 3,516 (includes 1,030 unsheltered)
City population: 443,007
41. Raleigh, North Carolina
Note: Estimate includes Wake County
Homeless population: 983 (includes 192 unsheltered)
City population: 449,477
40. Colorado Springs, Colorado
Note: Estimate includes El Paso County
Homeless population: 1,551 (includes 513 unsheltered)
City population: 450,000
39. Virginia Beach, Virginia
Note: Estimate only includes city proper
Homeless population: 243 (includes 72 unsheltered)
City population: 450,057
38. Omaha, Nebraska
Note: Estimate includes the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area
Homeless population: 1,411 (includes 64 unsheltered)
City population: 463,081
37. Atlanta, Georgia
Homeless population: 3,076 (includes 740 unsheltered)
City population: 465,230
36. Long Beach, California
Note: Estimate only includes city proper
Homeless population: 1,873 (includes 1,208 unsheltered)
City population: 470,489
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35. Sacramento, California
Note: Estimate includes county of Sacramento
Homeless population: 3,621 (includes 2,052 unsheltered)
City population: 489,650
34. Fresno, California
Note: Estimate includes Fresno and Madera counties
Homeless population: 2,144 (includes 1,681 unsheltered)
City population: 519,037
33. Tucson, Arizona
Note: Estimate includes Pima County
Homeless population: 1,380 (includes 363 unsheltered)
City population: 530,905
32. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Homeless population: 1,340 (includes 384 unsheltered)
City population: 556,718
31. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Note: Estimate includes Milwaukee city & county
Homeless population: 871 (includes 161 unsheltered)
City population: 599,086
30. Louisville, Kentucky
Note: Estimate includes Jefferson County
Homeless population: 926 (includes 153 unsheltered)
City population: 615,478
29. Baltimore, Maryland
Homeless population: 2,508 (includes 546 unsheltered)
City population: 619,796
28. Las Vegas, Nevada
Note: Estimate includes Clark County
Homeless population: 6,083 (includes 3,884 unsheltered)
City population: 621,662
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27. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Homeless population: 1,183 (includes 394 unsheltered)
City population: 629,191
26. Portland, Gresham, Oregon
Note: Estimate includes Multnomah County
Homeless population: 4,019 (includes 1,668 unsheltered)
City population: 630,331
25. Nashville, Tennessee
Note: Estimate includes Davidson County
Homeless population: 2,298 (includes 616 unsheltered)
City population: 654,187
24. Memphis, Tennessee
Note: Estimate includes Shelby County
Homeless population: 1,226 (includes 102 unsheltered)
City population: 654,723
23. Boston, Massachusetts
Note: Estimate includes only city proper
Homeless population: 6,188 (includes 163 unsheltered)
City population: 669,158
22. District of Columbia, District of Columbia
Homeless population: 6,904 (includes 600 unsheltered)
City population: 672,391
21. El Paso, Texas
Note: Estimate includes El Paso County
Homeless population: 892 (includes 177 unsheltered)
City population: 678,266
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20. Metropolitan Denver, Colorado
Note: Estimate includes Denver metropolitan area
Homeless population: 5,317 (includes 1,308 unsheltered)
City population: 678,467
19. Detroit, Michigan
Homeless population: 1,769 (includes 158 unsheltered)
City population: 679,865
18. Seattle, Washington
Note: Estimate includes King County
Homeless population: 12,112 (includes 6,320 unsheltered)
City population: 688,245
17. Charlotte, North Carolina
Note: Estimate includes Mecklenberg
Homeless population: 1,668 (includes 209 unsheltered)
City population: 826,060
16. Fort Worth, Arlington, Texas
Note: Estimate includes Tarrant County
Homeless population: 2,015 (includes 678 unsheltered)
City population: 835,129
15. Columbus, Ohio
Note: Estimate includes Franklin County
Homeless population: 1,807 (includes 288 unsheltered)
City population: 852,144
14. Indianapolis, Indiana
Homeless population: 1,682 (includes 136 unsheltered)
City population: 853,431
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13. San Francisco, California
Homeless population: 6,857 (includes 4,353 unsheltered)
City population: 864,263
12. Jacksonville-Duval, Florida
Note: Estimate includes Clay County
Homeless population: 1,794 (includes 429 unsheltered)
City population: 867,313
11. Austin, Texas
Note: Estimate includes Travis County
Homeless population: 2,147 (includes 1,014 unsheltered)
City population: 916,906
10. San Jose, California
Note: Estimate includes Santa Clara City & County
Homeless population: 7,254 (includes 5,448 unsheltered)
City population: 1,023,031
9. Dallas, Texas
Note: Estimate includes Dallas County
Homeless population: 4,121 (includes 1,341 unsheltered)
City population: 1,300,122
8. San Diego, California
Note: Estimate includes San Diego city and county
Homeless population: 8,576 (includes 4,990 unsheltered)
City population: 1,390,966
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7. San Antonio, Texas
Note: Estimate includes Bexar County
Homeless population: 3,066 (includes 1,353 unsheltered)
City population: 1,461,623
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Homeless population: 5,788 (includes 1,083 unsheltered)
City population: 1,569,657
5. Phoenix, Arizona
Note: Estimate includes Mesa, Maricopa County
Homeless population: 6,298 (includes 2,618 unsheltered)
City population: 1,574,421
4. Houston, Pasadena, Conroe, Texas
Note: Estimate includes Harris, Ft. Bend, and Montgomery counties
Homeless population: 4,143 (includes 1,614 unsheltered)
City population: 2,267,336
3. Chicago, Illinois
Homeless population: 5,450 (includes 1,357 unsheltered)
City population: 2,722,586
2. Los Angeles, California
Note: Estimate includes Los Angeles city & county
Homeless population: 49,955 (includes 37,570 unsheltered)
City population: 3,949,776
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1. New York City, New York
Homeless population: 78,676 (includes 3,711 unsheltered)
City population: 8,560,072
24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.
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