by Mark Saldua, Intern, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality

Over 582,000 individuals across the country were experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2022. The Point-in-Time (PIT) census is a count of sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The PIT count is valuable in quantifying homelessness, identifying year-over-year trends, and supporting policy development.

Key additional findings from the 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress and Continuum of Care Homeless Populations and Subpopulations Report include:

• 21 percent of individuals experiencing homelessness reported having a serious mental illness, and 16 percent reported having a substance use disorder.
• A 16 percent increase among individuals experiencing chronic homelessness between 2020 and 2022.

The homeless population comprised 37 percent of individuals who identified as Black and 24 percent identifying as Hispanic.