Indianapolis, In. — The most recent report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows homelessness in Indiana is declining.
The report says last year homeless numbers were down 6.1 percent in Indiana. Since 2010 the rate in Indiana has gone down by 15.7 percent. The homelessness rate nationally has gone up .7 percent since 2010.
Key National Findings of the HUD 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report:
On a single night in January 2017, state and local planning agencies (Continuums of Care) in Indiana reported:
- 5,438 people were homeless representing an overall 6.2 percent decrease from 2016 (or 360 individuals) and a 15.7 percent decrease since 2010 (1,014).
- Most homeless persons, 4,869 (89.5%), were located in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs while total 569 (11.7%) persons were unsheltered.
- The number of unsheltered homeless individuals in 2017, (541) decreased by 18.8% from 2016 and by 36.5% since 2010.
- The number of families with children experiencing homelessness in 2017 (1,815), declined by 8.1 percent (or 159 families) since 2016 and by 36.6 percent, (1,049) since 2010.
- On a single night in January 2017, 615 veterans were experiencing homelessness. Veteran homelessness decreased 7.2 percent (or 48 persons) since January 2016. Since 2010, however, Veteran homelessness in Indiana declined 19.8 percent and by nearly 46% nationally.
- Chronic or long-term homelessness among individuals decreased 9 percent (or 48 persons) over 2016 levels and declined by 37.3 percent since 2010.
- The number of unaccompanied homeless youth and children in 2017 is estimated to be 294 youth. This year, HUD and local communities launched a more intense effort to more accurately account for this important, difficult to count population. HUD will treat 2017 as a baseline year for purposes of tracking progress toward reducing youth homelessness.
