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Show Homeless Compiled by Tracy Carter and Stephen Nelson 1999 Total Utah Homeless: 1765 In the United States, estimates of the number of homeless persons range from 350,000 to 3,000,000. Discrepancies in these estimates are attributed to many factors, such as lack of reliable counting of homeless persons, high turnover in the homeless population, and varying definitions of "homelessness." The data were collected by applying methods employed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to 1990 census information. There are about 1,765 homeless persons in Utah on any given night. Of these, almost 75% are to be found in shelters. Comparing these figures to those obtained by homeless service providers, it was estimated that 276 homeless persons were located in the immediate vicinity of the providers. After a significant decrease in 1998, the number of sheltered homeless families and homeless children is increasing. The 1999 estimate of 128 sheltered homeless families is nearly equal to the 1997 estimate of 131 families - a considerable increase from the 1998 estimate of 104 sheltered homeless families, the lowest number recorded since 1991. The 1999 increase of sheltered homeless children, however, is not nearly as drastic as the increase in sheltered homeless families. 1999 data indicate an increase of only seven homeless children, for a total of 247 - well below the 1997 estimate of 315, or the 1996 estimate of 349. Table 11. Number of Homeless by Category, Utah, 1990-1999. Year Sheltered Unsheltered Families Children Total 1990 860 433 53 108 1293 1991 1036 522 82 167 1558 1992 1255 633 118 233 1888 1993 1368 689 129 304 2057 1994 1435 725 194 340 2160 1995 1325 657 136 299 1982 1996 1345 679 148 349 2024 1997 1236 623 131 315 1859 1998 1241 628 104 240 1869 1999 1322 443 128 247 1765 400 -I lies------ - Children of Homeless o o o o 4 \ \ - ¦ CD J2 y *« ... m O o 0 1990 1992 1994 1996 Year 1998 Figure 9. Number of Homeless Families and Children, Utah, 1990-1999. 2500 -, J> 2000 - E 0 1500 A. 2 iooo - 0) .a 1 500 A ---------Sheltered Unsheltered •Total 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 Year 1992 1993 1994 1995 Figure 10. Number of Sheltered and Unsheltered Homeless, Utah, 1986-1995. Sources: Utah Department of Community and Economic Development, Community Development Division (1999). Utah 1999 Homeless Count, Salt Lake City. 58 Utah's Health: An Annual Review Volume VIII |