Statistics:

On a single night in 2017, homeless services providers had more than 55,000 beds set aside for survivors of domestic violence.

In 2017, the Point in Time identified approximately 109,719 children under 18 years old as homeless.

Researchers have determined that 42 percent of children who are homeless are under the age of 6. This means the 1.3 million students counted as experiencing homelessness by public schools is only 58 percent of the total!

Over the years, the number of homeless seniors aged 65 years and older in the U.S. has been increasing. Homelessness among older people aged 50-60 years is also increasing. Not all seniors have enough income and money saved to pay for a safe and stable place to live and other necessities such as food, utilities, and medication.

Moving more people into permanent housing options, as opposed to temporary beds, has become a recognized best practice. In 2007, 31 percent of homeless assistance beds were dedicated to permanent housing options. By 2018, that number was 57 percent.

Between 2017 and 2018, homelessness increased slightly by 0.3 percent or 1,834 people.

Homelessness Statistics for Connecticut

Total Homeless Population

3,976

Total Family Households Experiencing Homelessness

553

Veterans Experiencing Homelessness

190

Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness

341

Unaccompanied Young Adults (Aged 18-24) Experiencing Homelessness

187

Total Number of Homeless Students

6,260

Total Number of Unaccompanied Homeless Students

174

Nighttime Residence: Unsheltered

121

Nighttime Residence: Shelters

2,492

Nighttime Residence: Hotels/motels

396

Nighttime Residence: Doubled up

2,702

The foreclosure crisis also played, and continues to play, a significant role in homelessness: In 2008, state and local homeless groups reported a 61% rise in homelessness since the foreclosure crisis began. Approximately 40% of families facing eviction due to foreclosure are renters; the problem may continue to worsen as renters represent a rising segment of the U.S. population.

According to the most recent annual survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, major cities across the country report that top causes of homelessness among families were,

  • 1 Lack of affordable housing.
  • 2 Unemployment.
  • 3 Poverty.
  • 4 Low wages, in that order.

The same report found that the top four causes of homelessness among unaccompanied individuals were,

  • 1 Lack of affordable housing.
  • 2 Unemployment.
  • 3 Poverty.
  • 4 Mental illness and the lack of needed services.
  • 5 Substance abuse and the lack of needed services.

After paying their rent and utilities, 75% of ELI households end up with less than half of their income left to pay for necessities such as food, medicine, transportation, or childcare. Insufficient income and lack of affordable housing are the leading causes of homelessness

On a single night in January 2018, just over 37,800 veterans were experiencing homelessness. On the same night, just over 23,300 of the Veterans counted were unsheltered or living on the street. Between 2017 and 2018, there was a 5.4 percent decrease in the estimated number of homeless Veterans nationwide.

The population of sheltered homeless seniors, age 62 and older, in the U.S. population rose from 2.9 percent to 4.7 percent from 2007 to 2016. That's according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Nov 9, 2018.

Two in three people experiencing homelessness (67%) were adults in households without children. The remaining 33 percent of people experiencing homelessness did so as part of a family. Of every 10,000 people in the United States, 17 experienced homelessness on a single night in 2018.

National Center on Family Homelessness

A staggering 2.5 million children are now homeless each year in America. This historic high represents one in every 30 children in the United States.

Over the three-year span, the number of enrolled students reported as experiencing homelessness at some point increased 7 percent, from 1.26 million students in the 2014-15 school year to 1.36 million students in the 2016-17 school year.