One mission of MHS is to end homelessness in our community among those with a severe mental disorder. To assess our fulfillment of this mission, we need to know the number of homeless persons in Cuyahoga County, and how many of those have a severe mental disorder.

1. Point-in-Time Count of Homeless Persons

An annual, point-in-time count of homeless individuals in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, has been conducted by the Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services (OHS), since 2003. Each year's count is based on a survey of all organizations in the county that provide homeless assistance services, including outreach, shelter, and meal services. A summary of point-in-time counts of all homeless person, those who are persistently or "chronically" homelesss, those who have severe mental illness (SMI), and those with chronic substance abuse (CSA) are presented in the figure below.  More detailed results of the point-in-time counts conducted in June 2003 & 2004, and January 2005-2009 are presented in the tables below.

Cuyahoga County, Ohio
The point-in-time count of homeless individuals in Cuyahoga County in 2009 was just 2% less than the count in 2008, and 5% less than the total number counted in the 2003 survey. The number of "chronically" or persistently homeless (Click here for definitions.) persons declined 58% from 2003 to 2009. The count of homeless individuals in 2009 who were reported as being severely mentally ill was identical to the count in 2004.

Of the subpopulations, the most notable change from the 2008 counts was the 21% increase in homeless persons who were victims of domestic violence. That count went from 150 in 2008 to 181 in 2009. The number of homeless persons with HIV/AIDS increased 17%, from 29 in 2008 to 34 in 2009. In contrast, the number of chronically homeless persons decreased 16% from 2008 to 2009. Similarly, the number of homeless persons who had severe mental illnesses decreased 11% from the number last year.

The only homeless subpopulation that increased substantially from 2004-2009 was the subgroup of those with chronic substance abuse, whose numbers increased 141% during that period. Keep in mind that the 2004 and 2003 surveys were conducted in June, when homeless people were more likely to have escaped notice because of the warmer weather.

Nationally
On a single day in January 2005 in the United States of America, there were 754,147 homeless men, women, and children, according to data published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This count is believed to be to most accurate ever done, because it was based on data from a nationwide homeless information system used by all HUD-funded homeless assistance programs. The HUD Annual Homeless Report to Congress (AHAR) of February 2007 was based on data from 80 communities across the nation.

2. Estimated Annual Count of Homeless Persons

A point-in-time count is an accurate measure because it is an actual enumeration by those who provide shelter and other services for homeless persons in the community. A more useful measure, however, would be the number of individuals who are homeless at any time during the year, not just on one night. There is no actual count of this measure, because the system of homeless assistance providers in Cuyahoga County does not yet maintain a registry of homeless persons. Because there is no actual count of those who are homeless throughout the year, the number must be estimated. Moreover, the number of homeless persons is a constantly-changing number, because neither homelessness nor mental illness is a fixed phenomenon or condition. They are dynamic conditions that are constantly changing in response to other conditions and factors. Every day, some people experience anew the consequences of becoming homeless, while others find housing. Chronic homelessness has particularly tragic consequences, because decent and stable housing is a prerequisite for an individual’s safety, health, and autonomy. While many factors contribute to homelessness, having a severe mental disorder is a significant risk factor, and a unique source of vulnerability during episodes of homelessness.

The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO, 2002), using what it called a “common, unscientific” methodology, estimated that 0.0158 (or 1.58%) of the country’s population was homeless at some time during the year of 2001. If we apply that proportion to the total Cuyahoga County population of 1,380,421 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001), the result is an estimated 21,811 individuals in Cuyahoga County who are homeless at some time during the year. (COHHIO estimated that there were 3,391 homeless individuals in Cuyahoga County on any given night.) Of all those who are homeless, COHHIO (1999) estimates that 24% have a severe mental illness (SMI), and another 13% have a co-occurring SMI and a substance use disorder. This would yield an estimate of 8,070 individuals with a severe mental illness in Cuyahoga County who are homeless at some time during the year.

How many are homeless in Cuyahoga County, Ohio? is available as a two-page document that opens in a separate browser window, using your computer's word processing application. Just click the icon at right.

References

Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services. (2005, 2004, and 2003). Continuum of care narrative (Exhibit 1 of the continuum of care homeless assistance programs application). Cleveland, OH: Cuyahoga County Department of Adult and Senior Services.

Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. (2002, August 27). How many Ohioans experience homelessness? Retrieved July 7, 2003 from http://www.cohhio.org/resources/howmanyhomeless.html

U.S. Census Bureau. (2001). Estimates data: 100 largest counties. Retrieved May 29,2002, from http://eire.census.gov/popest/data/counties/tables/CO-EST2001-09.php

U.S. Census Bureau. (2001). DP-1. Profile of general demographic characteristics: Data set: Census 2000 summary file 1(SF1) 100-percent data. (Geographic areas: Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and Cleveland city, Ohio). Retrieved May 29, 2002 from: http://factfinder. census.gov/bf/_lang=en_vt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_DP1_geo_id=05000US39035.html, &
http://factfinder.census.gov/bf/_lang=en_vt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_DP1_geo_id= 16000US3916000.htm.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (16 April 2002). Questions and Answers: A Supplement to the 2002 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance NOFA and Application, page 4. In Continuum of Care Application – 2002. Washington, DC: Author.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (25 April 2003). Continuum of Care Application – 2003. Washington, DC: Author.

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