About Homelessness

National Estimates of Homelessness in the United States reported in the 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development/HUD https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2020-AHAR-Part-1.pdf

  • Adults –  25 or older were almost nine of every ten people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, 88 percent of the total number of unsheltered people.
  •  Children – either in families or on their own – were most often staying in sheltered locations (90%) with only 10,651 children counted in unsheltered locations.
  • The gender characteristics of all people experiencing homelessness reflected the high percentage of men in the individual homeless population. Six of every 10 people experiencing homelessness were men or boys (61% or 352,211 men and boys), 39 percent were women or girls (223,578 women and girls), and less than one percent were transgender (3,161 people) or gender-nonconforming (1,460 people).
  • African American – 4 of every 10 people experiencing homelessness in January 2020 were black or African American (39% or 228,796 people). A higher percentage of people in shelter were black or African American (47% or 167,205 people) than were people experiencing homelessness in unsheltered locations (27% or 61,591).
  • White – Almost half of all people experiencing homelessness were white (48% or 280,612 people), and white people made up somewhat more than half of the unsheltered population (57%).
  • Hispanic or Latino – Almost a quarter of all people experiencing homelessness, 23 %, were Hispanic or Latino (counting people of all races who identify as Hispanic or Latino). The proportion is similar for people staying in sheltered and unsheltered locations (22% and 24%).

State of Michigan 

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