How many people are homeless nationally?
While it is a complex undertaking to arrive at an accurate estimate of the number of people experiencing homelessness nationally, perhaps the most reliable figure derives from a study conducted by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (2004) suggesting that at least 3.5 million people – 1.35 million of them children – will experience homelessness in a given year in the United States. Early research on homelessness suggests that 7% of Americans experience homelessness within their lifetimes. The National Coalition for the Homeless publishes a more thorough analysis of the challenges involved with arriving at an actual number. Find it under “publications” at www.nationalhomeless.org.
