United States Homeless Facts
3.5 million Americans experience homelessness in a given year
578,424 men, women, and children are homeless each night in this nation
2.5 million of the homeless are children
51% of children who are homeless are under the age of 5
Families with children (as opposed to single homeless people) make up about 37% of the homeless population
63% of the homeless population are single
Single men comprise 51%
Single women about 17%
Unaccompanied children about 2%
Homeless Veterans
9% of the male homeless population is veterans
Female veterans are the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population
About 20% of homeless have severe mental illness
About 20% of the homeless suffer from some form of drug or alcohol abuse
**Sources: 2013 AHAR, 2014 HUD PIT count data, and American Institutes for Research’s America’s Youngest Outcasts, 2014
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