The majority of homeless families in America are black, HUD study finds

#housing

According to a 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) Part 1 released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 582,462 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2022. The report also found that homelessness rose for individuals, people with disabilities who experience long-term homelessness, and people in unsheltered settings.

However, the number of families with children experiencing homelessness declined by 6% between 2020 and 2022, marking a total decline of 36% since 2010.

The report does not provide information on the racial or ethnic composition of homeless families in America. However, according to a 2019 report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, African Americans make up a disproportionate share of the homeless population in America.

Although they represent only 13% of the general population, African Americans account for 40% of all people experiencing homelessness. Source

That's an increase from 553,000 in 2018. Those going through chronic patterns of homelessness rose 9% from 2018 to 2019. A majority, 40%, were black.

Although the total number of homeless families declined by 5% between 2018 and 2019, 52% of homeless families in 2019 were black. Those numbers remain virtually unchanged from 2018.