The State of Homelessness in America 2014 is the fourth in a series of reports that chart progress in ending homelessness in the United States.

It examines trends in homeless between 2012 and 20 13, trends in populations at-risk of homelessness from 2011 to 2012, trends in assistance available to persons experiencing homelessness, and es tablishes a baseline fr om which to measure  changes in the homeless assistance system enacted by the Homeless  Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act.

This report is intended to be a desk top reference for policymakers, journalists, and community and state leaders.

Chapter 1 presents national and state trends in homeless populations.

Chapter 2 examines trends in populations at-risk of homelessness.

Chapter 3 analyzes beds available to homeless persons and usage of those resources, and establishes a baseline from which to examine shifts from transitional housing t o rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing.

This report uses the most recently available data from a variety of sources: the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Census Bureau, and the U .S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Report Highlights: 

On a single night in January 20 13,610,042 people were experiencing homelessness. From 2012 to 2013, a period of continued slow recovery from the Great Recession, overall homelessness decreased by 3.7 percent and homelessness decreased among every major subpopulation—families (7 percent), chronically homeless individuals (7.3 percent), and veterans (7.3 percent).

But nationwide trends do not t ell the full story:
• 31 states saw a decrease in homelessness, while 20 states saw increases in overall homelessness.
• The national rate of homelessness fell to 19 homeless persons per 10 ,000 people in the general population, but the r ate in individual states ranged from 106 in Washington, DC  to 8 in Mississippi.
• The rate of veteran homelessness fell to 27 homeless veterans per 10,000 veterans in the general population, but the rate in individual states ranged from 28 in Wyoming to 156 in Washington, DC.

You may download the full report by clicking here: State of Homelessness 2014