On a single night in January of 2022, there were 7,917 people facing homelessness in Minnesota. This statistic comes from the Minnesota HMIS (Homeless Management Information System). Homelessness is frequently thought of as people staying in emergency shelters or sleeping out in the elements. However, homelessness is also people staying unexpectedly and temporarily with family or friends because they have nowhere else to go, “couch hopping” or “couch surfing,” and staying in places not typically meant for long-term shelters, such as staying in cars. The Homeless Hub points out that emergency shelters exist in medium to large-sized urban areas but are not generally available in rural areas and small towns.

Every year, WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs takes part in the Point-in-Time count. This is a count that measures how many people are facing homelessness in a 24-hour period. In the 2022 count done in January, there were 7917 people facing homelessness. In this count, 78% were in either emergency shelters or transitional housing. 22% of these people were unsheltered.

• A sheltered count for those experiencing homelessness who are in Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing, or Safe Haven programs on the night of the PIT. The sheltered count includes data from agencies that participate in HMIS as well as data from non-HMIS projects (such as domestic violence programs, like WRAP).

• An unsheltered and doubled-up count of those experiencing homelessness who are on the street, in a place not meant for habitation, or temporarily staying with friends or family. The unsheltered and doubled-up count is collected by street outreach teams, volunteer surveyors, school liaisons, and other community partners using a face-to-face survey.

Of the 7,917 people facing homelessness in Minnesota on that day, Unaccompanied children made up 1%, adults made up 62%, and families with children made up 37%. 65% of the total population surveyed were adults (age 25 and older), 10% of the population was young adults (18-24) and 25% of the population was children (17 and younger).

Homelessness does not only happen in large communities but in rural communities as well. WRAP’s Point-in-Time survey showed that in a single 24-hour period WRAP served 22 homeless individuals. Being homeless in a rural community can have a detrimental impact as access to emergency housing shelters is more limited in rural communities.

The Red Nose Day campaign listed 4 classifications of homelessness: Transitional Homelessness, Episodic Homelessness, Chronic Homelessness, and Hidden Homelessness. Transitional homelessness is typically the result of a major life change, such as losing employment or divorce. Transitional homelessness lasts less than 1 year. Episodic homelessness is typically a result of mental or physical illness or could be seen in individuals that have seasonal or minimum-wage jobs. Episodic homeless individuals have experienced at least three periods of homelessness in the last 12 months. Chronically homeless individuals have experienced more than 3 periods of homelessness in the last 12 months or have been homeless for more than 1 year. Hidden homelessness or invisible homelessness is characterized as an individual that will temporarily reside with others without a permanent address. These individuals typically reside with friends, family, or neighbors, and have typically experienced “catastrophic life changes, trauma, or challenges” which resulted in their homelessness. These individuals are classified as hidden or invisible because they are typically not acknowledged by statistics because they do not seek housing assistance or emergency shelter.

On any given night, temporary shelters could provide beds to approximately 354,000 people across the nation, and based on overall shelter trends, shelters are typically at or over capacity. Some shelters have requirements or restrictions on the populations they can serve, such as women and children-only shelters, and domestic violence shelters. Shelters tend to give priority to families with children. However, 50% of unaccompanied youth were unsheltered.

Domestic violence is a common, immediate cause of homelessness among youth, and families. After fleeing an abusive relationship, individuals and families typically seek shelter services for a safe place to stay or because they lack the economic resources to obtain housing separate from their abuser. The National Alliance to End Homelessness speaks to homelessness caused by a domestic violence situation by saying, “having an affordable place to call home is crucial for this population, to both reduce their risk of homelessness as well as the possibility of future violence. Research indicates that families that receive a housing subsidy after exiting homelessness are far less likely to experience interpersonal violence than those that do not.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness, services may be available to them through Southwest Health and Human Services, United Community Action Partnership (UCAP), WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Program, Inc., and other local community partners.

— Becci tenBensel is executive director of WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs