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The size and Census coverage of the U.S. homeless population

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  • Meyer, Bruce D.
  • Wyse, Angela
  • Corinth, Kevin

Abstract

Fundamental questions about the size and characteristics of the homeless population are unresolved because it is unclear whether existing data are sufficiently complete and reliable. We examine these questions and the coverage of new microdata sources that are designed to be nationally representative. We compare two restricted data sources largely unused to study homelessness, the 2010 Census and American Community Survey (ACS), to restricted Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data, HUD's public-use point-in-time (PIT) estimates, and the Housing Inventory Count (HIC) at the national and individual level. We also develop a new approach to estimating the size of the sheltered homeless population using linked Census and HMIS microdata. Our analyses suggest that on a given night there are about 400,000 people experiencing homelessness in shelters in the U.S. and about 200,000 people sleeping on the streets, with this latter estimate subject to greater uncertainty. More than 90 percent of those in shelters appear to be counted in the Census, although many are classified as housed or in other group quarters, due largely to ambiguity in the definition of a homeless shelter. This paper lays the foundation for pathbreaking future work with these data on the U.S. homeless population.

Suggested Citation

  • Meyer, Bruce D. & Wyse, Angela & Corinth, Kevin, 2023. "The size and Census coverage of the U.S. homeless population," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:136:y:2023:i:c:s0094119023000281
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2023.103559
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Agans Robert P. & Jefferson Malcolm T. & Bowling James M. & Zeng Donglin & Yang Jenny & Silverbush Mark, 2014. "Enumerating the Hidden Homeless: Strategies to Estimate the Homeless Gone Missing From a Point-in-Time Count," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 30(2), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Deborah Wagner & Mary Lane, 2014. "The Person Identification Validation System (PVS): Applying the Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications’ (CARRA) Record Linkage Software," CARRA Working Papers 2014-01, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    3. Bruce D. Meyer & Angela Wyse & Kevin Corinth, 2022. "The Size and Census Coverage of the U.S. Homeless Population," NBER Working Papers 30163, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. John M. Abowd & William R. Bell & J. David Brown & Michael B. Hawes & Misty L. Heggeness & Andrew D. Keller & Vincent T. Mule Jr. & Joseph L. Schafer & Matthew Spence & Lawrence Warren & Moises Yi, 2020. "Determination of the 2020 U.S. Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP) Using Administrative Records and Statistical Methodology Technical Report," Working Papers 20-33, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    5. Hopper, K. & Shinn, M. & Laska, E. & Meisner, M. & Wanderling, J., 2008. "Estimating numbers of unsheltered homeless people through plant-capture and postcount survey methods," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(8), pages 1438-1442.
    6. Mary Layne & Deborah Wagner & Cynthia Rothhaas, 2014. "Estimating Record Linkage False Match Rate for the Person Identification Validation System," CARRA Working Papers 2014-02, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    7. Zhang Li-Chun, 2019. "A Note on Dual System Population Size Estimator," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 35(1), pages 279-283, March.
    8. Kevin C. Corinth, 2015. "Street homelessness: A disappearing act?," AEI Economic Perspectives, American Enterprise Institute, June.
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