What were things like in 2002?
The following idicator summary is from the 2002 Minnesota Milestones and does not neccessarily reflect the current data trends.Indicator : Homelessness
Rationale: This indicator deals with one of the most basic human needs – a safe, stable place to live.
About this indicator: The number of people in Minnesota homeless shelters, and the number turned away for lack of space, has increased significantly since 1990. An estimated 6,700 Minnesotans were in shelters on an average night in 2001, an increase of 158 percent since 1990, when about 2,600 were using homeless shelters. These numbers do not include people who live on the streets or in other “unlivable” areas, such as in cars, under bridges or in abandoned buildings. Of those using shelters in 2001, about 40 percent were children and approximately 7 percent were unaccompanied youth. The number of children in shelters more than tripled between 1990 and 2001. (Unaccompanied youth were not counted before 1999.)
Another 1,041 people were turned away from shelters on an average night in 2001 due to lack of space, a four-fold increase since 1990. Of those, 43 percent were children and about 7 percent were unaccompanied youth. In 1990, approximately 263 people were turned away per night, 37 percent of them children.
Data reported here is based on the average of four one-night surveys, one each season, covering more than 350 shelters, transitional housing programs, and agencies providing motel vouchers.
Things to think about: According to a Wilder Research Center survey in October 2000, 38 percent of homeless adults in Minnesota have a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression. Forty-one percent of homeless men and 22 percent of women have chemical dependency problems. The survey found that 41 percent of homeless adults are working, and 26 percent work full time. However, many earn less than $10 per hour, not enough to afford adequate housing. Other reasons for homelessness include eviction from former housing, credit problems, criminal background, relationship problems, violence in the neighborhood or abuse. The Wilder survey also found that 47 percent of homeless adults in Minnesota are African American, compared to 34 percent who are White.
Technical notes: Homeless shelter population counts are conducted by the Department of Children, Families & Learning in February, May, August and November, either on the last Tuesday or Thursday of the month. The Wilder Research Center conducted the Minnesota statewide survey of people without permanent shelter on the night of October 26, 2000. Fifty-three percent of the known homeless adult population participated in the survey.
Sources:Department of Children, Families & Learning, Office of Economic Opportunity, Quarterly Shelter Survey, cfl.state.mn.us/OEO/qss.htm
Wilder Research Center, Minnesota Statewide Survey of People Without Permanent Shelter, www.wilder.org/research
U.S. Bureau of the Census, www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/censr 01-2.pdf
Related 2002 Milestones indicator:
Other related indicators:
- Minnesotans receiving public child care subsidies (Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, http://cfl.state.mn.us)
- Minnesotans enrolled in MinnesotaCare, Medical Assistance and related health care programs (Minnesota Department of Human Services, www.dhs.state.mn.us)
Local data: