This Web-based document was archived by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
Minnesota Milestones 2010: Homelessness
 
 
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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.
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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.

Unaccompanied youth turned away from a homeless shelter, per night
YearData
Number of people using a homeless shelter per night, total, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Edit trend | Edit data
Men using a homeless shelter, per night, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Edit trend | Edit data
Women using a homeless shelter, per night, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Edit trend | Edit data
Children using a homeless shelter, per night, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Edit trend | Edit data
Unaccompanied youth using a homeless shelter, per night, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Edit trend | Edit data
Number of people turned away from a homeless shelter per night, total, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Edit trend | Edit data
Men turned away from a homeless shelter, per night, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Edit trend | Edit data
Women turned away from a homeless shelter, per night, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Edit trend | Edit data
Children turned away from a homeless shelter, per night, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Edit trend | Edit data
Unaccompanied youth turned away from a homeless shelter, per night, Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning Edit trend | Edit data
Total using Men using Women using Children using Unaccompanied youth using Total turned away Men turned away Women turned away Children turned away Unaccompanied youth turned away
19902,599 1,053 689 857 N 263 82 83 98 N
19912,915 1,121 781 1,013 N 252 85 73 95 N
19923,280 1,201 887 1,193 N 446 88 142 216 N
19933,738 1,420 992 1,326 N 530 110 164 256 N
19944,342 1,377 1,137 1,828 N 521 79 165 278 N
19954,614 1,283 1,288 2,043 N 551 89 203 259 N
19964,834 1,230 1,487 2,117 N 664 65 230 370 N
19975,351 1,345 1,589 2,417 N 559 78 194 288 N
19985,597 1,327 1,500 2,459 312 635 137 163 245 90
19995,688 1,489 1,490 2,395 313 841 158 236 346 101
20006,381 1,519 1,706 2,785 371 1,052 283 305 398 67
20016,724 1,748 1,766 2,723 488 1,041 207 310 453 71
         Select data sets for individual graphing:
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:
    Local data:

    Milestones is a product of the Minnesota State Demographic Center, a division of the Department of Administration