Federal Study Cites Fewer Homeless
Date Published: November 8, 2007
Publisher:
USA TODAY
Author: Wendy Koch
WASHINGTON — The federal government has released a report that shows a national decline in the number of chronically homeless adults who live on the streets or in emergency shelters.
The number fell 12% to 155,623 in January 2006 from 175,914 in January 2005, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The report is based on data — taken on a single day — from 3,900 cities and counties.
Before 2005, HUD did not annually compile such information.
"These numbers show remarkable progress is being made," says HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, adding much more work remains to be done. He attributes the decline to better reporting as well as greater local and federal resources that provide permanent housing along with health care and other services.
"These are the numbers we've been waiting for for a quarter of a century," says Philip Mangano, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which coordinates federal efforts. He says the findings might "re-moralize" a country that had almost given up on the long-term homeless.
