Numbers, Numbers, and More Homeless Numbers. Can We Count On Them?

Sometimes numbers can be poignant.

I tend to tire over statistics, especially when it relates to homelessness. This percentage of people are male. This percentage of people have a disability. This. This. This. With the onslaught of numbers we sometimes forget that these numbers reflect real people. Real lives.

So when the federal government mandated that local jurisdictions count the number of people living on the streets, my first inclination was, “Swell, more numbers.” But I strongly agree that counting homelessness is good. It keeps communities accountable. It allows them to plan for solutions.

So this past January, the biennial homeless count in cities around the country occurred. The City of Denver recently announced its numbers.

Yes, there was the typical… this percentage of this… this percentage of that…

But hidden in the list of percentages and numbers was a sad fact… “45% of the people surveyed were homeless for the first time.” That means out of the 11,000 people homeless in the metropolitan Denver area, almost half are newly homeless.

I suspect this is not just a Denver issue. It’s staggering to think that people living in homes and apartments just two years ago are ending up homeless today. The economy is certainly wreaking havoc on people’s lives.

This trend of newly homeless forces the traditional homeless service system to adjust. Once again, I might add. Just a few years ago, chronic homelessness (people living on the streets for a long time) was the priority. Now, it’s newly homeless. Or perhaps it’s both? It’s hard to plan.

Nevertheless, numbers seem to influence our direction. (And rightfully so.)

(Pic from http://astoriedcareer.com)