4 in 10 homeless Americans are sleeping on the street.
Of the more than 580,000 Americans who are experiencing homelessness, around 4 in 10 4 are unsheltered—meaning they are living on the street, in a subway station, in their car, or in some other temporary location. However, millions of Americans experience forms of homelessness and housing insecurity that are all but invisible to the outside world—like people who are couch-surfing, living doubled up, or sleeping in their car. These individuals are likely to be undercounted in the census data that helps to determine how resources are allocated toward supportive services.
In New York, recent point-in-time surveys find around 3,500 individuals 12 who sleep “rough” each night, meaning they are unhoused and forced to live in a location unsuitable for human habitation.
What Can Help?
More affordable housing, eviction prevention, renters rights education, and access to legal services