Homelessness Levels in Evansville and Vanderburgh County at Lowest in Four Years

According to a count mandated by the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development, the level of homelessness in Evansville has dropped 17% from 2016. That's the lowest it's been in four year.

The annual point-in-time count measures the homeless population of a certain area at one designated day and time. The Evansville area was surveyed Wednesday, January 25, 2017 during the evening and overnight hours.

This year’s count identified 428 individuals experiencing homelessness in Vanderburgh County. That number represents a 17% reduction from the 2016 count of 495 people and is the lowest number in four years.

Thanks to the community’s ongoing use of the Coordinated Entry System, chronic homelessness continued to decline. Of the 428 people counted, 56 were considered chronically homeless. That is an improvement of 27% from last year’s count of 77 people.  Chronically homeless persons are those who are continuously homeless or experience frequent instances of homelessness.

Substance abuse, mental health conditions, and domestic violence continue to be the leading factors contributing to homelessness in our community. These factors also play a role in the increased number of people considered unsheltered. In the 2017 count, 58 people were identified as living outdoors or in places not meant for habitation. That represents an increase of 71% from the 34 unsheltered people recorded in 2016.

Evansville’s local homeless service agencies and organizations, in coordination with the Commission on Homelessness, continue to provide programs and services essential to preventing and ending homelessness in our community.