How many homeless people are there in Chicago?
A new analysis by CCH Policy Director Julie Dworkin shows 74,149 Chicagoans were homeless in the 2008-09 school year (through June 2009). In that same time period, Chicago Public Schools identified 12,525 homeless students, a record enrollment and a year's increase of 18 percent. Homeless enrollment is tracking 20 percent higher than this during the 2009-10 school year.
How many homeless people are there in Illinois?
CCH has not attempted a statewide estimate using the same methodology with which we did the city estimate. However, based on the Illinois Department of Human Services annual report, we do know that about 48,000 people a year are served in state-funded shelter. The Illinois State Board of Education estimated in 2008-09 that about 60,000 school-aged children were homeless across the state.
What are the demographics of Chicagoans experiencing homelessness?
Per our 2008-09 analysis, families made up 46.5 percent of Chicago's homeless population. There were 24,022 children (32.4 percent) and 10,489 parents (14.1 percent).
Unaccompanied youth (through age 17) made up 6.7 percent, or 4,965 youths.
Single adults made up 46.7 percent, or 34,673 single adults.
How many unaccompanied youth lived in Chicago?
Most youth service providers consider youth to be teenagers through the age of 21. For our 2008-09 analysis, youth ages 18 through 21 are counted among the single adults. We estimate 4,160 older youth were unaccompanied but counted in our analysis among single adults.
For those wanting to know only about unaccompanied youth, ages 14 through 21, CCH estimates there were 9,125 youth. They made up 12.3 percent of the city's homeless population. Furthermore, the Chicago school system counted 2,916 unaccompanied youth attending CPS schools in 2008-09.
With an estimated 25,000 unaccompanied youth in Illinois, per a comprehensive 2005 state study, there are not enough shelter beds for homeless youth -- in 2010, there are 189 youth beds in Chicago, 117 in the suburbs, and about 90 downstate.
How many homeless people have a substance abuse problem?
Approximately 26 percent, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
How many homeless people suffer from mental illness?
Approximately 20 to 25 percent of the single-adult homeless population suffers from some form of severe and persistent mental illness, according to a 2007 fact sheet from the National Coalition for the Homeless.
How many homeless people are survivors of domestic violence?
56 percent of women in homeless shelters reported that they had experienced domestic violence, according to the Center for Impact Research, Pathways to and from Homelessness: Women and Children in Chicago Shelters (PDF)
What is the racial breakdown of homeless people in Chicago?
According to a 2007 Point-in-Time Count done by the city of Chicago, the racial demographics of the homeless population were 75 percent African American, 16 percent white, 6 percent Latino, and 3 percent other ethnicities.
For more statistics about homelessness, please see our 2008 Fact Sheet.
