Facts & Statistics

In The United States

While circumstances can vary, the main reason people experience homelessness is because they cannot find housing they can afford. The main behind this inability to acquire or maintain housing is the scarcity of affordable housing in the United States – particularly in more urban areas where homelessness is more prevalent.

By the numbers:

    There are 643,067 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States.
    Of that number, 238,110 are people in families, and 404,957 are individuals.
    17 percent of the homeless population is considered "chronically homeless."
    12 percent of the homeless population - 67,000 - are veterans.

For many city officials, community leaders, and even direct service providers, it often seems that placing homeless people in shelters is the most inexpensive way to meet the basic needs of people experiencing homelessness; some may even believe that shelters are an ideal solution.

Research, however, has shown something surprisingly different. The cost of homelessness can be quite high. Hospitalization, medical treatment, incarceration, police intervention, and emergency shelter expenses can add up quickly, making homelessness surprisingly expensive for municipalities and taxpayers.People experiencing homelessness are more likely to access the most costly health care services. People who are homeless spend more time in jail or prison, which is tremendously costly to the state and locality.

In Canada

Who are the Homeless? At any given time, there are an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 homeless people in Canada. The long-term or "chronically" homeless person – the individuals we see on our streets – represent less than 20% of the homeless population. The tens of thousands of currently homeless Canadians are a diverse mix of young and old, families with children, couples and single people. Families with children are the fastest growing group of homeless people. About a third of homeless people live with some form of mental health issue. Both the numbers of homeless people and the length of time they are homeless are increasing dramatically.

Why do people become homeless? The reasons are complex. The basic cause is poverty. Underlying causes include: poor physical or mental health; violence or abuse in the home; lack of employment or an income; and a shortage of affordable housing.

Homelessness is not by choice. No one chooses to be homeless and it can happen to anyone, for example:
a teenager escaping an abusive care giver; a senior citizen on a fixed income facing a rent or tax increase; a child whose parents suddenly become unemployed.

In the United Kingdom

At worst, homelessness can mean sleeping rough on the streets and agencies report that nearly 4000 people slept rough last year in London alone. However the problem of homelessness is much bigger than that of rough sleeping. As the previous Government stated: "the vast majority of homeless people are actually families or single people who are not literally sleeping on the streets but living with relatives and friends or in temporary accommodation"

From 2003-2009, the number of homelessness applications being assessed by  local authorities and the number of households being accepted as homeless and in 'priority need', both declined sharply. However, in 2010/11 there was an increase of 15 per cent to 102,200 homelessness applications and an increase of 10 per cent to 44,000 households being accepted as homeless and in 'priority need'.  

In Australia

Each day nearly 1 in every 200 Australians is homeless, without safe, secure or affordable housing. Last year 220, 000 Australians received support from specialist homelessness services, this equates to 1 in every 100 people. Alarmingly 1 in every 38 Australian children aged 0-4 spent time in a homelessness service over the course of 2009/10. 1 in 4 people who experience homelessness on any given night are under the age of 18. Every day, more than half the people who request immediate accommodation from homelessness services are turned away. Two in every 3 children who need support are also turned away, as are almost 80% of families.