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BID Programs > Homeless Services > Facts About DC Homelessness Facts About DC Homelessness
- 6,044 homeless single persons and families were counted in the January 2008 enumeration
- Homeless persons increased by 5% from the 2007 count
- 2,184 persons are chronically homeless
- 378 persons were estimated to be sleeping on the street
- Average age is 49
- 1,264 suffer from chronic substance abuse and 521 are severely mentally illness
- One in 10 has a severe mental illness co-occurring with chronic substance abuse
- 20% of homeless have chronic health problems
- 133 persons are living with HIV/AIDs
- 582 have been victims of domestic violence
- 11% are U.S. military veterans
- 468 do not speak English as their first language
- 734 homeless persons have lived in jails, prisons, hospitals, foster care, mental health or substance abuse treatment facilities or other institutional settings in the past, an 11% increase from the 2007 count
Source: Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness
DC Shelters
- About 13,000 single adults and 2,800 adults and children in about 530 families use emergency shelter every year
- The 14% of single adults who use more than 180 nights a year use 57% of DC’s shelter capacity annually
- At least 50% of DC’s shelter capacity for single adults would not be needed if all long-term shelter stayers were moved to permanent supportive housing
Source: Urban Institute
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