City of Boston Releases Results of 43rd Annual Homelessness Census
At the end of June the City of Boston released the results of its annual unsheltered homeless street count; a yearly point-in-time count held this year on the night of January 30.
From the report:
During the annual census, the City of Boston collects data on individuals who are spending the night unsheltered on the street, and individuals and families staying in emergency shelter, transitional housing, or domestic violence shelter programs.
The number of homeless people in Boston has increased by 17.2 percent, from 4,439 people in 2022 to 5,202 people in 2023. However, when comparing the years 2015 and 2023, overall homelessness in Boston has actually decreased by 32 percent. Nationally, overall homelessness has risen by 3 percent from 2015 to 2022, as reported by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, using the latest available data from HUD.
High rates of homelessness are associated with the shortage of affordable housing and high rents in our city. Even while the number of unsheltered people increased by 42% in 2023, because of the City opening six new low-barrier shelters to assist unsheltered persons with pathways to housing and treatment, Boston is stemming the tide with only 3.3% of people in the city experiencing unsheltered homelessness, compared to other cities where the average is 40%. There is still much work to do, however, as Boston continues to face an affordable housing supply gap and years’ long waiting lists for qualified persons in need. According to the Mayor’s Office of Housing in Boston, the numbers of people seeking shelter in Boston dropped during the pandemic and are now slowly returning to 2019 numbers.
See the full report from the January 2023 point of time count of homeless.
Visit the City’s website for more information and ways to help.
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