Best practices book - Flipbook - Page 357
Building Confidence, Building Community.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The homeless population throughout most major jurisdictions has continued to increase over the past several years.
As cities deal with the complexity of homelessness and the multifaceted policies needed to address it, building code
officials continue to play a critical role in establishing the safe occupancy of different types of housing. Additionally,
with new concepts to address homelessness, such as, tiny home villages, wooden tents, transitional housing, day beds,
and emergency sleeping areas, to mention a few, building code officials are tasked with applying traditional building
standards to a broader range of housing types. The intent of this paper is to share background information from
various cities as well as some innovations on how to provide shelter to those in need. Hopefully, this paper will provide
guidance for jurisdictions experiencing similar homelessness issues and demonstrate possible alternate means to
support safe, non-traditional housing.
PROBLEM STATEMENT:
The following information comes from National Alliance to End Homelessness:
https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-report/
A total of 552,830 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2018. This number represents 17 out
of every 10,000 people in the United States. HUD’s Annual Point-in-Time Count, the only nation-wide survey of
homeless people, provides this data and other useful statistics. In 2019 this number rose to 567,715 people (See
appendix A1).
Most people experiencing homelessness are individuals (67 percent). The remainder (33 percent) are people in
families with children.
Between 2017 and 2018, homelessness increased slightly by 0.3 percent or 1,834 people.
In terms of the number of homeless people, overall, the states with the greatest number tend to be the most
populous. However, there are a few, Oregon and Colorado, that top the homeless count list while having relatively
smaller populations. Sixty-seven percent of people experiencing homelessness can be found in the following ten
states with the largest number of homeless people.
10 States with the Highest Homeless Population Count (2018)
1. California..................... 129,972
Los Angeles ............... 49,955
2. New York ....................... 91,897
New York City ............ 78,676
3. Florida ........................... 31,030
4. Texas ............................. 25,310
5. Washington ................... 22,304
Seattle/King County .. 12,112
6. Massachusetts ............. 20,068
Boston ............................. 6,188
7. Oregon........................... 14,476
8. Pennsylvania................. 13,512
Philadelphia ................. 5,788
9. Colorado........................ 10,857
Metro Denver ............... 5,317
10. Illinois ............................ 10,643
Chicago........................ 5,450
Homeless services providers are equipped to offer temporary beds to the majority (70 percent) of people experiencing
homelessness on a given night. These beds are available year-round and include Emergency Shelter, Transitional
Housing, and Safe Haven.
This leaves 30 percent of people without access to a year-round bed. During the winter months, some communities
temporarily supplement their year-round beds with seasonal ones. However, many people are unsheltered, living on the
streets, in abandoned buildings, or in other locations not suitable for human habitation. Being unsheltered is largely a
challenge for individual adults but some families with children are also in these living situations.
Moving more people into permanent housing options, as opposed to temporary beds, has become a recognized best
practice. In 2007, 31 percent of homeless assistance beds were dedicated to permanent housing options. By 2018, that
number was 57 percent.
BEST PRACTICES | 348
Homelessness in the United States, How are Major Jurisdictions Dealing with This Issue?
www.iccsafe.org | page 2
