How Illinois' Homelessness Problem Compares To The Nation

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. - Chicago:

An estimated 582,462 people experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2022, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The agency notes that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could have led to a far higher number, but with government outreach and programs to prevent eviction through rental assistance, the national homelessness rate rose only by 0.3% from 2020 to 2022.

The number of unhoused people declined by 8.6%, or 54,615, since 2010, but more persons experience unsheltered homelessness. Two out of every five people without a home were living in an unsheltered setting, with the number of unsheltered homeless persons increasing by 3.4% from 2020 to 233,832 in 2022. As HUD points out, the rise in unsheltered homelessness outpaced the decrease in sheltered homeless persons.

A reported 9,212 people were experiencing homelessness in Illinois in January 2022, and an estimated 20.6% of them were unsheltered, the 24th smallest share among the 50 states.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Illinois has declined by 11.7% since 2020 and is down by 36.0% since 2010.

All data in this story is from the Office of Policy Development and Research.

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This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.