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.

_____________________

 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.

2 Comments

  1. Michael Ullman on December 17, 2019 at 2:30 am

    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



  2. Joe Colletti on December 17, 2019 at 3:01 am

    Thanks. When HUD officially
    Thanks. When HUD officially posts the numbers we’ll find out. Probably between 3 and 5%.