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2015 Pit Summary Report Final
2015 Pit Summary Report Final
2015 Homeless
Point-in-Time Count & Survey
Report
METHODOLOGY
RESULTS
6,715
5,922
6,000
INTRODUCTION
6,240
6,598
6,279
6,294
6,786
4,988 *
5,000
4,000
Sheltered
Population
Only
3,000
2,000
1,000
-
2005
2007
2009
2011
2012
Year
2013
2014
2015
4,988
4,873
5,060
5,329
4,731
4,346
1,000
900
4,000
800
3,000
1,727
2,000
2,055
1,725
1,576
1,219
884
1,000
-
2005
2007
2009
2011
Sheltered
2012
Year
2013
965
2014
2015
5,000
5,356
Household structure
729
740
730
2012
2013
782
677
700
576
600
500
400
300
200
100
Unsheltered
Chronic homelessness
Chronic homelessness
is defined by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
as persons or families who have been continuously
homeless for at least one year or on at least four
separate occasions in the past three years. At the time
of the 2015 count, there were an estimated 1,050
chronically homeless individuals in Chicago of whom
373 were living in shelters and 677 were unsheltered.
This represents 8% of the sheltered population and
33% of the unsheltered population. (See Fig. 3).
2005
2007
2009
Year
2014
2015
Individuals in Families
Concurrent with a decrease in the total number of
family households, the number of persons living
in families also decreased. In 2015 there were
2,195 persons living in shelters with other family
membersa 15% decrease from 2014. This marks
the lowest number of sheltered persons in family
households since 2007.
Fig. 5: Number of Individuals in Families
3,000
2,808
2,651
2,500
Unsheltered Population
2,329
2,403
2,581
2,331
2,195
1,987
2,000
Individuals
8%
2011
848
774
1,500
1,000
33%
Chronic
500
Non-Chronic
67%
92%
2005
2007
2009
2011
2012
Year
2013
2014
2015
Individuals
2,000
2,337
2,548
2,585
2,544
2,729
2,748
2,536
2,032
1,701
1,500
70%
1,634
1,511
60%
1,197
1,000
951
794
500
-
Gender
68% of all homeless persons were male, 32% were
female, and 0.3% identified as transgender. Gender
breakdown among homeless individuals has remained
fairly consistent since 2005 with a few fluctuations.
2015 was marked by an increase in the proportion of
unsheltered males and decrease in the proportion of
females. (See Fig. 7 and Fig. 8).
2005
2007
2009
Sheltered
2011
2012
Year
2013
2014
2015
Unsheltered
2,500
2,359
50%
40%
65%
59%
58%
57%
43%
41%
43%
57%
43%
42%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2005
2007
2009
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Year
Female
Population demographics
43%
42%
58%
57%
35%
Male
Homeless Youth
At the time of the 2015 PIT count, there were 1,422
homeless individuals under the age of 18. The vast
majority of homeless children were accompanied by
one or more adult family members and were located
in a shelter. Six children were accompanied by neither
an adult nor other child family member. Children
make up roughly one-third of those living in shelters,
but only 23% of Chicagos population.1
57%
80%
82%
78%
81%
87%
82%
81%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
22%
20%
18%
19%
20%
19%
18%
13%
10%
0%
2005
2007
2009
Male
2011
Year
2013
2014
2015
Female
Age
Age distribution for the homeless population remained
consistent with figures in previous years. (See Fig. 9).
80%
30%
20%
15%
12%
10%
0%
2005
20%
17%
15%
9%
3%
2007
2009
22%
20%
2%
1%
2011
76%
White
22%
2%
2012
Year
Black
2013
21%
3%
2%
2014
2015
Other
50%
40%
33%
30%
33%
19%
20%
12%
10%
6%
6%
8%
1%
17 and under
18-24
25-40
Age
41-60
Over 60
76%
40%
52%
Sheltered
80%
73%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
23%
18%
17%
10%
25%
22%
8%
1%
2005
2007
2011
2013
Year
White
24%
2%
1%
2009
2%
2014
23%
5%
2015
Other
12%
11%
10%
10%
8%
11%
10%
10%
9%
9% 9%
8%
7%
7%
6%
6%
6%
5%
4%
2%
0%
2005
2007
2009
2011
Sheltered
72%
60%
Black
74%
73%
70%
Unsheltered
77%
76%
74%
76%
50%
60%
78%
60%
0%
79%
70%
30%
80%
76%
73%
2012
Year
2013
2014
2015
Unsheltered
50%
45%
45%
40%
35%
30%
34%
30%
27%
29%
26%
16%
15%
10%
15%
14%
13%
8%
12%
8%
13%
12%
8%
5%
0%
2005
2007
23%
21%
23%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2007
2009
2011
2012
Year
2013
2014
2015
Unsheltered
19%
18%
9%
28%
27%
25%
Sheltered
20%
45%
40%
25%
2009
2011
Sheltered
2012
Year
2013
2014
2015
Unsheltered
26%
27%
Veterans
Veterans comprise a disproportionate share of the
homeless population. 4.4% of the Chicago population
are veterans5, yet veterans represented an estimated
15% of the homeless population. 12% of the sheltered
population and 19% of the unsheltered population
identified as veterans. (See Fig. 13).
50%
45%
40%
34%
35%
30%
25%
20%
25%
19%
21%
22%
19%
26%
26%
25%
19%
25%
20%
13%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2007
2009
2011
Sheltered
2012
Year
2013
2014
2015
Unsheltered
HIV/AIDS
Similar to figures in the previous year, four percent
of sheltered survey respondents and three percent
of unsheltered respondents reported having AIDS or
being HIV positive. (See Fig. 16).
5
8%
7%
7%
6%
5%
8%
6%
6%
5%
5% 5%
5%
4%
4%
4%
4%
3%
3%
4%
3%
3%
2%
1%
0%
2005
2007
2009
2011
Sheltered
Year
2012
2013
2014
2015
Unsheltered
Domestic Violence
Over 25% of the surveyed homeless population
reports being a victim of domestic violence. Victims
constituted 27% of the sheltered and 25% of the
unsheltered population. (See Fig. 17).
35%
30%
31%
28% 29%
25%
21%
20%
33%
27%
29%
26%
23%
27%
23%
20%
27%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2005
2007
2009
Sheltered
2011
Year
2012
2013
2014
2015
Unsheltered
Incarceration
56% of all homeless males and 29% of all homeless
females surveyed reported having spent time in jail or
prison. Figures were higher among the unsheltered
population. 51% of males in shelters and 25% of
females in shelters were formerly incarcerated. 61%
of unsheltered males and 48% of unsheltered females
report being formerly incarcerated. (See Fig. 18 and
Fig. 19).
Employment status
35%
30%
25%
20%
24%
20%
20%
15%
16%
13%
14%
12%
11%
8%
10%
19%
16%
8%
7%
5%
0%
2007
2009
2011
2012
Year
Sheltered
2013
2014
2015
Unsheltered
Access to services
2009
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
SSI
11%
11%
11%
11%
11%
12%
SSDI
5%
6%
6%
5%
5%
5%
Medicaid or Medicare
24%
22%
25%
19%
23%
43%
Food Stamps/SNAP
60%
69%
68%
74%
72%
73%
WIC
7%
8%
9%
5%
6%
9%
Kid Care
5%
7%
6%
6%
5%
8%
TANF
9%
11%
9%
10%
10%
11%
Unemployment
3%
5%
4%
2%
2%
1%
Unsheltered
2009
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
SSI
11%
9%
na
9%
10%
14%
5%
2%
na
9%
8%
8%
SSDI
Medicaid or Medicare
3%
5%
na
3%
3%
11%
Food Stamps/SNAP
18%
33%
na
41%
33%
41%
WIC
.4%
2%
na
1%
2%
1%
Kid Care
0%
4%
na
0%
1%
.4%
TANF
.4%
1%
na
1%
2%
2%
Unemployment
2%
7%
na
0%
2%
2%
Conclusion
Count
Percent
2%
127
81%
23
14%
3%
Count
Percent
Female
44
35%
Male
70
55%
Transgender
13
8%
Count
Percent
6%
Black/African American
88
69%
Other
15
12%
Multiple Races
20
17%
29
23%
White
Count
Percent
1%
15
12%
65
50%
26
20%
18
14%
5%
Dont know
Source: 2015 Extended Youth Count
Percent
5%
22
17%
7%
15
12%
Developmental Disability
1%
35
28%
0%
Time in Jail/Prison
40
32%
45
35%
Employed
28
22%
Physical Disability
Substance Use
HIV/AIDS
Mental Health Issue
Veteran
Count
Percent
SSI
3%
SSDI
1%
Medicaid/Medicare
46
36%
Food Stamps
74
58%
WIC
4%
TANF
4%
Kidcare
3%
Population Characteristics
Rates of substance use, mental health issues,
disability, and former incarceration were lower
among the surveyed youth population when
compared to the general PIT count. 35% reported
time spent in foster care, which is three times that
of the general PIT figure. Domestic violence and
HIV/AIDS rates were also higher. (See Fig. 26). No
surveyed youth were veterans.
Population Characteristics
Count
Percent
Own home/apartment
23
20%
With family/friends
63
55%
3%
Jail/prison
4%
Foster/group home
4%
On the CTA
6%
In a shelter/transitional housing
5%
Other
3%