National 2019 Point-in-Time Count of Homeless Persons Likely Higher Than Counts for Each of the Past Couple of Years
By Joe Colletti | December 16, 2019 |
–HUD has not yet released the official 2019 Point-in-Time Count results–
–Indications noted in this report suggest an increase up to 5% when compared
to the 2018 results which would reverse an annual comparable downward
trend since the beginning of this decade as noted in table 3–
This report focuses on the point-in-time homeless counts by the 50 Continuums of Care (CoCs) that reported significant numbers of homeless persons for the past couple of years. As a result, this report projects an increase up to 5% in the total number of homeless persons counted across the country in 2019 by all of the approximate 400 CoCs when compared to the total number of homeless persons counted by all CoCs in 2018. An increase will likely be borne out when HUD officially releases the 2019 point-in-time results.
While we await the release of the official 2019 point-in-time homeless count results from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), results are obtainable. The 2019 homeless count results for each CoC was required by HUD to be submitted as part of their 2019 Continuum of Care Program application.
Also, HUD adds points to each CoC application score if the application and attachments are posted “on their website, at least 2 days before the application submission deadline,” which was September 30.
All of the 50 CoCs submitted their 2019 point-in-time count results in their CoC application and posted their application on their web site. Each of their total counts were obtained from their posted applications. Their total counts are listed and collectively totaled in tables 1 and 2.
50 Continuums of Care (CoCs) Counted 60% of All Homeless Persons in 2017 and 2018
The 50 Continuums of Care (CoCs) that have reported the largest numbers of homeless persons during the past couple of years collectively reported approximately 60% or 328,310 persons of the point-in-time estimate of 553,742 persons in 2017 and approximately 60% or 330,403 persons of the point-in-time estimate of 552,830 persons in 2018.
The point-in-time estimate of 553,742 persons in 2017 represented an increase of 3,814 persons or 0.7% when compared to the point-in-time estimate of 549,928 persons in 2016.
The point-in-time estimate of 552,830 persons in 2018 represented a decrease of 912 persons or 0.2% when compared to the point-in-time estimate of 553,742 persons in 2017.
Did 50 Continuums of Care (CoCs) Count 60% of All Homeless Persons in 2019?
The 50 CoCs noted a combined number of 346,705 persons counted in their 2019 Continuum of Care Program applications, which were recently submitted to HUD. Their combined 2019 number of 346,705 is greater than their combined numbers in 2017 and 2018.
Their combined number of 346,705 in 2019 is 5.6% or 18,395 persons greater than their combined number of 328,310 persons in 2017 as totaled in Table 1 and 4.9% or 16,302 persons greater than their combined number of 330,403 in 2018 as totaled in Table 2.
If the 50 CoCs counted 60% (346,705) of all homeless persons in 2019, the total number of homeless persons counted nation-wide in 2019 would be approximately 580,000 homeless persons. This would represent an increase of around 27,000 persons or nearly 5% more persons when compared to the 552,830 persons counted in 2018.
The increase would reverse an annual comparable downward trend since the beginning of this decade as noted in Table 3.
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Table 1. Comparison of 2017 point-in-time homeless counts published by HUD with 2019 point-in-time counts noted in 2019 Continuum of Care applications
CoCs | 2017 Homeless Count | 2019 Homeless Count |
Difference | ||
|
|
| # | % | |
NY-600 | New York City CoC | 76,501 | 78,604 | +2,103 | +2.7 |
CA-600 | Los Angeles City and County CoC | 55,188 | 58,936 | +3,748 | +6.8 |
WA-500 | Seattle/King County CoC | 11,643 | 11,199 | -444 | -3.8 |
CA-601 | San Diego City and County CoC | 9,160 | 8,102 | -1,058 | -11.5 |
DC-500 | District of Columbia CoC | 7,473 | 6,521 | -952 | -12.7 |
TX-607 | Texas Balance of State | 7,153 | 8,072 | +919 | +12.8 |
CA-500 | San Jose/Santa Clara City and County CoC | 7,394 | 9,706 | +2,312 | +31.2 |
CA-501 | San Francisco CoC | 6,858 | 8,035 | +1,177 | +17.2 |
NV-500 | Las Vegas/Clark County CoC | 6,490 | 5,530 | -960 | -14.8 |
MA-500 | Boston CoC | 6,135 | 6,241 | +106 | +1.7 |
OR-505 | Oregon Balance of State CoC | 5,795 | 7,103 | +1,308 | +22.6 |
PA-500 | Philadelphia CoC | 5,693 | 5,735 | +42 | +0.7 |
IL-510 | Chicago CoC | 5,657 | 5,290 | -367 | -6.5 |
CA-502 | Oakland, Berkeley/Alameda County CoC | 5,629 | 8,022 | +2,393 | +42.5 |
AZ-502 | Phoenix, Mesa/Maricopa County CoC | 5,605 | 6,614 | +1,009 | +18.0 |
C0-503 | Metropolitan Denver CoC | 5,506 | 5,755 | +249 | +4.5 |
HI-501 | Honolulu City and County CoC | 4,959 | 4,417 | -542 | -10.9 |
CA-602 | Santa Ana, Anaheim/Orange County CoC | 4,792 | 6,860 | +2,068 | +43.1 |
WA-501 | Washington Balance of State CoC | 4,671 | 5,509 | +838 | +17.9 |
OR-501 | Portland, Gresham/Multnomah County CoC | 4,177 | 4,015 | -162 | -3.9 |
C0-500 | Colorado Balance of State CoC | 4,019 | 2,302 | -1,717 | -42.7 |
TX-600 | Dallas City and County, Irving CoC | 3,789 | 4,538 | +749 | +19.7 |
FL-600 | Miami-Dade County CoC | 3,721 | 3,472 | -249 | -6.7 |
GA-501 | Georgia Balance of State CoC | 3,716 | 4,183 | +467 | +12.6 |
CA-503 | Sacramento City and County CoC | 3,665 | 5,570 | +1,905 | 52.0 |
TX-700 | Houston/Harris County CoC | 3,605 | 3,938 | +333 | +9.2 |
IN-502 | Indiana Balance of State CoC | 3,655 | 3,904 | +249 | +6.8 |
GA-500 | Atlanta CoC | 3,572 | 3,217 | -355 | -9.9 |
WI-500 | Wisconsin Balance of State CoC | 3,348 | 2,875 | -473 | -14.1 |
OH-507 | Ohio Balance of State CoC | 3,309 | 3,479 | +170 | +5.1 |
MN-500 | Minneapolis/Hennepin County CoC | 3,057 | 3,400 | +343 | +11.2 |
NC-503 | North Carolina Balance of State CoC | 3,054 | 2,989 | -65 | -2.1 |
CA-504 | Santa Rosa, Petaluma/Sonoma County CoC | 2,835 | 2,951 | +116 | +4.1 |
TX-500 | San Antonio/Bexar County CoC | 2,743 | 2,872 | +129 | +4.7 |
CA-608 | Riverside City & County CoC | 2,406 | 2,811 | +405 | +16.8 |
FL-601 | Ft Lauderdale/Broward County CoC | 2,450 | 2,803 | +353 | +14.4 |
CA-511 | Stockton/San Joaquin County CoC | 1,542 | 2,631 | +1,089 | +70.6 |
CA-609 | San Bernardino City & County CoC | 1,866 | 2,607 | +741 | +39.7 |
CA-514 | Fresno City & County/Madera County CoC | 2,016 | 2,508 | +492 | +24.4 |
FL-502 | St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo/Pinellas County CoC | 2,831 | 2,415 | -416 | -14.7 |
CA-505 | Richmond/Contra Costa County CoC | 1,607 | 2,295 | +688 | +42.8 |
TX-503 | Austin/Travis County COC | 2,036 | 2,255 | +219 | +10.7 |
KY-500 | Kentucky Balance of State CoC | 1,940 | 2,221 | +281 | +14.5 |
CA-508 | Watsonville/Santa Cruz City & County CoC | 2,249 | 2,167 | -82 | -3.6 |
ME-500 | Maine Balance of State CoC | 2,280 | 2,106 | -174 | -7.6 |
AZ-500 | Arizona Balance of State | 1,768 | 2,021 | +253 | +14.3 |
FL-507 | Orlando/Orange, Osceola, Seminole Counties | 2,074 | 2,010 | -64 | -3.1 |
HI-500 | Hawaii Balance of State CoC | 2,261 | 1,995 | -266 | -11.7 |
TN-504 | Nashville-Davidson County CoC | 2,337 | 1,986 | -351 | -15.0 |
MA-516 | Massachusetts Balance of State CoC | 2,080 | 1,918 | -162 | -7.8 |
| Total: | 328,310 | 346,705 | +18,395 | +5.6 |
Table 2. Comparison of 2018 point-in-time homeless counts published by HUD with 2019 point-in-time counts noted in 2019 Continuum of Care applications
CoCs | 2018 Homeless Count | 2019 Homeless Count |
Difference | ||
|
|
| # | % | |
NY-600 | New York City CoC | 78,676 | 78,604 | -72 | 0.0 |
CA-600 | Los Angeles City and County CoC | 52,765 | 58,936 | +6,171 | +11.7 |
WA-500 | Seattle/King County CoC | 12,112 | 11,199 | -913 | -7.5 |
CA-601 | San Diego City and County CoC | 8,576 | 8,102 | -474 | -5.5 |
DC-500 | District of Columbia CoC | 6,904 | 6,521 | -383 | -5.5 |
TX-607 | Texas Balance of State | 7,638 | 8,072 | +434 | +5.7 |
CA-500 | San Jose/Santa Clara City and County CoC | 7,254 | 9,706 | +2,452 | +33.8 |
CA-501 | San Francisco CoC | 6,857 | 8,035 | +1,178 | +17.2 |
NV-500 | Las Vegas/Clark County CoC | 6,083 | 5,530 | -553 | -9.0 |
MA-500 | Boston CoC | 6,188 | 6,241 | +53 | +0.8 |
OR-505 | Oregon Balance of State CoC | 6,392 | 7,103 | +711 | +11.1 |
PA-500 | Philadelphia CoC | 5,788 | 5,735 | -53 | -0.9 |
IL-510 | Chicago CoC | 5,450 | 5,290 | -160 | -2.9 |
CA-502 | Oakland, Berkeley/Alameda County CoC | 5,496 | 8,022 | +2,526 | +46.0 |
AZ-502 | Phoenix, Mesa/Maricopa County CoC | 6,298 | 6,614 | +316 | +5.0 |
C0-503 | Metropolitan Denver CoC | 5,317 | 5,755 | +438 | +8.2 |
HI-501 | Honolulu City and County CoC | 4,495 | 4,417 | -78 | -1.7 |
CA-602 | Santa Ana, Anaheim/Orange County CoC | 4,955 | 6,860 | +1,905 | +38.4 |
WA-501 | Washington Balance of State CoC | 5,666 | 5,509 | -157 | -2.8 |
OR-501 | Portland, Gresham/Multnomah County CoC | 4,019 | 4,015 | -4 | 0.0 |
C0-500 | Colorado Balance of State CoC | 3,989 | 2,302 | -1,687 | -42.3 |
TX-600 | Dallas City and County, Irving CoC | 4,121 | 4,538 | +417 | +10.1 |
FL-600 | Miami-Dade County CoC | 3,516 | 3,472 | +44 | +1.2 |
GA-501 | Georgia Balance of State CoC | 3,730 | 4,183 | +453 | +12.1 |
CA-503 | Sacramento City and County CoC | 3,621 | 5,570 | +1,949 | +53.8 |
TX-700 | Houston/Harris County CoC | 4,143 | 3,938 | -205 | -4.9 |
IN-502 | Indiana Balance of State CoC | 3,576 | 3,904 | +328 | +9.2 |
GA-500 | Atlanta CoC | 3,076 | 3,217 | +141 | +4.6 |
WI-500 | Wisconsin Balance of State CoC | 3,147 | 2,875 | -272 | -8.6 |
OH-507 | Ohio Balance of State CoC | 3,133 | 3,479 | +346 | +11.0 |
MN-500 | Minneapolis/Hennepin County CoC | 3,013 | 3,400 | +387 | +12.8 |
NC-503 | North Carolina Balance of State CoC | 2,991 | 2,989 | -2 | 0.0 |
CA-504 | Santa Rosa, Petaluma/Sonoma County CoC | 2,996 | 2,951 | -45 | -1.5 |
TX-500 | San Antonio/Bexar County CoC | 3,066 | 2,872 | -194 | -6.3 |
CA-608 | Riverside City & County CoC | 2,316 | 2,811 | +495 | +21.4 |
FL-601 | Ft Lauderdale/Broward County CoC | 2,318 | 2,803 | +485 | +20.9 |
CA-511 | Stockton/San Joaquin County CoC | 1,685 | 2,631 | +946 | +56.1 |
CA-609 | San Bernardino City & County CoC | 2,118 | 2,607 | +489 | +23.1 |
CA-514 | Fresno City & County/Madera County CoC | 2,144 | 2,508 | +364 | +17.0 |
FL-502 | St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo/Pinellas County CoC | 2,612 | 2,415 | -197 | -7.5 |
CA-505 | Richmond/Contra Costa County CoC | 2,234 | 2,295 | +61 | +2.7 |
TX-503 | Austin/Travis County COC | 2,147 | 2,255 | +108 | +5.0 |
KY-500 | Kentucky Balance of State CoC | 2,077 | 2,221 | +144 | +6.9 |
CA-508 | Watsonville/Santa Cruz City & County CoC | 2,320 | 2,167 | -153 | -6.6 |
ME-500 | Maine Balance of State CoC | 2,516 | 2,106 | -410 | -16.3 |
AZ-500 | Arizona Balance of State | 2,187 | 2,021 | -166 | -7.6 |
FL-507 | Orlando/Orange, Osceola, Seminole Counties | 2,053 | 2,010 | -43 | -2.1 |
HI-500 | Hawaii Balance of State CoC | 2,035 | 1,995 | -40 | -2.0 |
TN-504 | Nashville-Davidson County CoC | 2,298 | 1,986 | -312 | -13.6 |
MA-516 | Massachusetts Balance of State CoC | 2,296 | 1,918 | -378 | -16.5 |
| Total: | 330,403 | 346,705 | +16,302 | +4.9 |
Table 3. Comparison of national homeless counts from 2010 – 2019
Year | Point-in-Time Count | Difference | |
|
| # | % |
2010 | 637,077 | – | – |
2011 | 623,788 | -13,289 | -2.1 |
2012 | 621,553 | -2,235 | -0.4 |
2013 | 591,768 | -29,785 | -4.8 |
2014 | 576,450 | -15,318 | -2.6 |
2015 | 564,708 | -11,742 | -2.0 |
2016 | 549,928 | -14,780 | -2.6 |
2017 | 553,742 | +3,814 | +0.7 |
2018 | 552,830 | -912 | -0.2 |
2019 | 580,000 (projected)* | +27,170 | +4.9 |
*unofficial estimate.
Good Work. I thought it
Good Work. I thought it might be a bit higher especially due to CA increase –
well, until people realize that it is not about Affordable Housing it will increase or
remain stagnant.
Thanks –
Michael
Thanks. When HUD officially
Thanks. When HUD officially posts the numbers we’ll find out. Probably between 3 and 5%.