Human Services News

HUD News Release 07-020

For the first time since 1984, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is releasing a report on the scope of homelessness in America.

HUD's first-ever Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress concludes that an estimated 754,000 persons are homeless on any given night.

HUD's assessment also measures homelessness over time, allowing researchers to expand their body of knowledge beyond the more limited "point-in-time" estimates of the past.

"This first-of-its kind study is a huge leap forward in our understanding of not only how many people are homeless, but also what their needs are," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson.

Since 2001, HUD has awarded more than $9 billion to support thousands of local housing and service programs throughout the nation and is seeking a record $1.6 billion through the Department's Continuum of Care grant programs for FY 2008.

The first is a national sample of 80 geographically diverse communities, chosen randomly, that have implemented Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS).

This modern data collection method can accurately count how many persons use emergency shelters and transitional housing over time.

HUD intends to produce more extensive HMIS data in future assessments that will provide a longer-rangeperspective on homeless trends.

While HUD continues to collect this point-in-time data for both sheltered and unsheltered persons, new HMIS data collection techniques now allow researchers to study the sheltered homeless population over time.

As HUD continues to encourage local communities to implement HMIS nationwide, the Department also collects local one-night counts of homeless persons, both at the shelter level and on the streets.