Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR)

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HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress measures homelessness over time, allowing researchers to expand their body of knowledge beyond more limited estimates in the past. HUD unveiled new data from Continuums of Care (CoC) that indicates 754,000 persons are living in emergency shelter, transitional housing, and on the streets on any given night. In addition, data from Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), available for the first time, indicated that 704,000 persons used emergency shelter and transitional housing during a three-month period (February-April) in 2005.

“This first-of-its kind study is a huge leap forward in our understanding of not only how many people are homeless, but also what their needs are,” said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. “We’ve got to remember that behind these numbers are people – individuals and families who are struggling to survive. This first report and those that follow will help us gauge how well our efforts, as well as those of our partners at the state and local level and the nonprofit sector, are working to help the homeless. We all must work in concert together to help our nation’s most vulnerable.”

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