An average of 26 percent of the requests for emergency shelter by homeless people overall and 30 percent of the requests by homeless families alone are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. People remain homeless an average of 10 months in the survey cities. Fifty-four percent of the cities said that the length of time people are homeless increased during the last year. Lack of affordable housing lead the list of causes of homelessness identified by the city officials. Other causes cited, in order of frequency, include substance abuse and the lack of needed services, mental illness and the lack of needed services, low paying jobs, domestic violence, changes and cuts in public assistance, poverty and the lack of access to affordable health care Officials estimate that, on average, single men comprise 45 percent of the homeless population, families with children 38 percent, single women 14 percent and unaccompanied minors three percent.
Children account for one-fourth of the homeless population.
During the last year the number of emergency shelter beds remained approximately the same in the survey cities. Transitional housing units increased by an average of 11 percent. Single Room Occupancy units increased by seven percent. In 53 percent of the cities, families may have to break up in order to be sheltered. In 50 percent of the cities families may have to spend their daytime hours outside of the shelter they use at night.