Question #2
Who is homeless? 1
An estimated 842,000 adults and children are homeless in a given week, with
that number swelling to as many as 3.5 million over the course of a year.
People who are homeless are the poorest of the poor. While almost half (44%) of
people who are homeless work at least part-time, their monthly income averages
only $367 compared to the median monthly income for U.S. households of $2,840.
Those who have disabilities and are unable to work can find it nearly
impossible to secure affordable housing in virtually every major housing market
in the country.
The majority are unaccompanied adults, but the number of homeless families is
growing:
- 66% are single adults, and of
these, three-quarters are men
- 11% are parents with
children, 84% of whom are single women
- 23% are children under 18
with a parent, 42% of whom are under 5 years of age
Racial and ethnic minorities, particularly African Americans, are
overrepresented:
- 41% are non-Hispanic whites
(compared to 76% of the general population)
- 40% are African Americans
(compared to 11% of the general population)
- 11% are Hispanic (compared to
9% of the general population)
- 8% are Native American
(compared to 1% of the general population)
Homelessness continues to be a largely urban phenomenon:
- 71% are in central cities
- 21% are in suburbs
- 9% are in rural areas
People who are homeless frequently report health problems:
- 38% report alcohol use
problems
- 26% report other drug use
problems
- 39% report some form of
mental health problems (20-25% meet criteria for serious mental illness)
- 66% report either substance
use and/or mental health problems
- 3% report having HIV/AIDS
- 26% report acute health
problems other than HIV/AIDS such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, or sexually
transmitted diseases
- 46% report chronic health
conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or cancer
People who are homeless also have high rates of other background
characteristics:
- 23% are veterans (compared to
13% of the general population)
- 25% were physically or
sexually abused as children
- 27% were in foster care or
institutions as children
- 21% were homeless as children
- 54% were incarcerated at some
point of their lives
1 Burt, M.R., Aron, L.Y., Douglas,
T., Valente, J., Lee, E., Iwen, B. (1999) Homelessness: Programs and the People
They Serve. Washington, DC: Interagency Council on the Homeless.
For more information about the
Homeless Programs Branch, please contact:
Lawrence D. Rickards,
Ph.D., Branch Chief
Homeless Programs Branch
Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(240) 276-1920