In 2015, there were 152,806 homeless individuals without shelter in the United States and not enough shelter beds or housing for them in at least 191 of the nation’s Continuum of Care areas. There were not enough beds in emergency shelters, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing units, other permanent housing, and safe havens for approximately 100,000 of these homeless individuals without shelter.
Homeless individuals are without shelter in almost every area of the country. Data from the 2015 Point-in-Time Count show that homeless individuals were without shelter in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and in 393 of the nation’s 403 CoC areas.
As with homeless families with children, enormous numbers of homeless individuals are without shelter in locations where sleeping outdoors can become life-threatening due to freezing temperatures or cool temperatures combined with high winds or precipitation. For example, there were 2,732 homeless individuals without shelter in the Georgia Balance of State CoC, 2,034 homeless individuals without shelter in the Chicago CoC, 219 homeless individuals without shelter in the Baltimore County CoC, and 356 homeless individuals without shelter in the Fayetteville/Cumberland County CoC in North Carolina.
The 100,000 additional shelter beds are needed throughout the country. To provide shelter to every homeless individual who was without shelter on a given night, an additional 99,143 to 113,958 shelter beds are needed in at least 36 to 45 states and in at least 191 to 259 CoC areas, if every empty emergency shelter bed, transitional housing bed, permanent housing bed, rapid rehousing bed, and safe haven bed in a CoC area for homeless adult individuals is considered available.
The scarcity of shelter or housing for homeless individuals is of an even greater magnitude than that for homeless families. While our previous blog estimated that one-third to one-half of homeless families with children who are without shelter have no means of obtaining shelter, the table below shows that an estimated two-thirds to three-fourths of homeless individuals who are without shelter likely have no means of obtaining shelter. The CoC areas described earlier are a few of the CoC areas where homeless individuals without shelter likely have no means of obtaining shelter. There were only 81 to 525 beds available and 2,207 to 2,651 beds still needed in the Georgia Balance of State CoC, 502 to 664 beds available and 1,370 to 1,532 beds still needed in the Chicago CoC, 10 to 46 beds available and 173 to 209 beds still needed in the Baltimore County CoC, and 29 to 50 beds available and 306 to 327 beds still needed in the Fayetteville/Cumberland County CoC.
The need for additional shelter beds for homeless individuals is enormous in many areas. One hundred or more shelter beds for homeless individuals are needed in 104 to 133 CoC areas located in 20 to 30 states.
The need for additional shelter resources for homeless individuals has increased over the past two years. The 99,000 to 114,000 additional beds needed to shelter every homeless individual on a given night in 2015 is approximately 15,000 to 19,000 more beds than the 84,000 to 95,000 additional beds needed to provide shelter for all homeless individuals on a given night in 2014.
With the danger facing men and women who are living without shelter, Congress should provide funding to end homelessness for all people. Congress should provide funding for an additional 114,000 beds in emergency shelters, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and rapid rehousing so that every homeless individual without
shelter obtain shelter.