Massachusetts Homeless - Statistics

Indices	State & Local	National	Shelters	News & Media	Credits

Boston Rescue Mission
http://www.brm.org/index.aspx?sec_id=10&sec_url=

Horizons Initiative
http://www.horizonsinitiative.org/Statistics.asp

Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty at the Weingart Center
This primarily covers the Southern California area, with a specific focus on Los Angeles. National and local statistics included in publications. http://www.weingart.org/institute/

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Health and Human Services: Executive Commission for Homeless Services Coordination
http://www.mass.gov/portal/index.jsp?pageID=eohhs2subtopic&L=4&L0=Home&L1=Researcher&L2=Basic+Needs&L3=Housing+and+Shelter&sid=Eeohhs2

National Coalition for the Homeless Facts About Homelessness
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/facts.html

St. Francis House
Frequently Asked Questions list includes statistics.
http://www.stfrancishouse.org/frequent.htm

US Bureau of the Census Homepage
http://www.census.gov/

• On March 20, 1990, the US Census attempted to count the US homeless population in certain locations. There was a great deal of criticism of the methodology, but here are the figures reported.
  Source: "Fact Sheet for 1990 Decennial Census Counts of Persons in Selected Locations Where Homeless Persons Are Found." Washington, DC: US Bureau of the Census, nd. In Jacquelyn Quiram, et al.Homeless in America. Wylie, TX: Information Plus, 1997. 5.

  							abused
  	emergency	youth		visible		women
  	shelters	shelters	on street	shelters
  US	168,309		10,329		49,734		11,768
  MA	  5,948		   259		   674		   269
  
  	unwed	drug/			
  	mother	alcohol,	farm	mentally ill
  	homes	group homes	dorms	group homes	other
  US	1,682	52,038		35,280	32,348		97,727
  MA	   57	 2,154		    53	   802		 1,317

• In 1998, US Conference of Mayors report counted 1,940 shelter beds, 1,100 family shelter beds, 67 transitional units, and 530 family transitional units in the city of Boston.
  Source: Lowe, Eugene T., Art Slater, and Doreen Hardie. "A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities: 1998." Washington, DC: US Conference of Mayors, 1998. In Cornelia Blair, et al., eds. Homeless in America. Wylie, TX: Information Plus, 1999. 63.

• US Bureau of the Census: Definition of Poverty http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/defs/poverty.html

• The 2002 poverty guidelines (a rough and ready figure) in the contiguous states are set at an income of $18,392 for a family of four, $9,183 for an individual.
  Source: US Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/poverty02/thresh02.html

• In 1990, 10.7% (626,000 total) of Massachusetts' population was living below the poverty line. In 2002, the percentage is now 10.0% (648,000). Over that same time period, the overall US percentage dropped from 13.5% (33,585,000) to 12.1% 34,567,000).
  Sources: Table 765: Persons below Poverty Level by State 1980 to 1997. 1999 Statistical Abstract of the United States. Springfield, VA: US Bureau of the Census and Historical Poverty Tables 19 and 21: http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/histpov/hstpov19.html and http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/histpov/hstpov21.html

• In Massachusetts, children under 19 years of age were numbered at 1,502,000 as the result of a three-year average of 2000, 2001, and 2002 figures. Of that number, 458,000, or 30.5% were considered at or below 200% of poverty. 40,000 were reported as being at that level and without health insurance.
  Source: US Bureau of the Census, Low Income Uninsured Children by State: 2000, 2001, and 2002. http://www.census.gov/hhes/hlthins/liuc02.html

• The three-year average for 1998, 1999, and 2000 was 1,603,000 total children in Massachusetts under the age of 19. 564,000 of these children lived at or below 200% of poverty, and 68,000 of them without health insurance.
  Source: US Bureau of the Census, Low Income Uninsured Children by State: 1998, 1999, and 2000. http://www.census.gov/hhes/hlthins/liuc00.html

• As of September 1, 1997, the federally-set minimum wage for covered, nonexempt employees was set at $5.15 per hour. (Those under 20 years of age can be paid $4.25 for the first 90 days.) Massachusetts currently has a $6.75 minimum wage: when a state's rate is higher, it takes precedence over the national rate.
  Sources: US Department of Labor's webpages on minimum wage: http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/minimumwage.htm and Code of Massachusetts Regulations: http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=1111

  		hrs/wk	wks/yr	min. wage	total income
  National rate	  35	  52	  $5.15		  $ 9,373
  		  40	  52	  $5.15		  $10,712
  
  State rate	  35	  52	  $6.75		  $12,285 
  		  40	  52	  $6.75		  $14,040

		Page Created by Elena O'Malley, elnom@usa.net. http://elnom.com/mahome/census.html last updated: 12 October 2004