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Prepared by the Louisiana Services Network Data Consortium (LSNDC), 2013. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this document without fee, provided that the text is not modified in any way, and the document is applied for educational, non-commercial use only.
A SINGLE NIGHT COUNTS: HOMELESSNESS IN LOUISIANA
A Report on the 2013 Point-in-Time
Homeless Census and Housing Inventory
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
Page 2
The Board of the Louisiana Services Network Data Consortium (LSNDC) is comprised of representation from the CoC and
HMIS agency of each region within the State of Louisiana. This group was responsible for coordinating and executing the
Homeless Census within their member parishes. The regional leaders for the 2013 Census were:
Region I and X: Martha Kegel and Emily Danielson, Unity of Greater New Orleans and Clifton Harris, VIA LINK
Region II: Randy Nichols and Corey Dyer, Capital Area Alliance For the Homeless
Region III: Brooke Guidry and Mary Russo, START Corporation, and Lyletha Howard, Gulf Coast Social Services
Region IV: Eric Gammons, Andrew Zegura, and Elizabeth Lamond, Lafayette Catholic Service Centers
Region V: Randall Hebert and Beverly McCormick, Volunteer Center Southwest Louisiana
Region VI: Kendra Gauthier and Dwanna Sandifer, Central Louisiana Homeless Coalition
Region VII: Christa Pazzaglia and Tosha Stamps, HOPE for the Homeless and Lane Richardson, Centerpoint Community Services
Region VIII: Lawana Brown and Kattina Brittan, The Wellspring
Region IX: Dee Wild, Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans and Erin Matheny, Southeastern Louisiana University
The Report was prepared by the 2013 Homeless Census Report Workgroup of the LSNDC:
Ms. Erin Matheny and Ms. Barbara Taylor, Southeastern Louisiana University
Mr. Lane Richardson, Centerpoint Community Services, and
Mr. Andrew Zegura and Ms. Elizabeth Lamond, Lafayette Catholic Service Centers
Acknowledgements
Conducting the annual statewide point-in-time Homeless Census, along with the accompanying Homeless Demographic
and Needs Survey and Housing Inventory for the Homeless, is always a major undertaking. It involves homeless service
providers, homeless coalition (Continuum of Care) leaders, and support staff who coordinate and execute a plan for
administering the Census throughout the state during the same period of time. The success of the project is due, in large
part, to the hundreds of tireless service providers and compassionate volunteers who join forces to help us better
understand the face of homelessness in Louisiana. It is with our deepest gratitude that we acknowledge their time, talent,
and resources.
We would also like to thank all of the respondents who provided the information used to develop this report. Without their willingness to have their stories represented, we would not be able to examine where we are, nor speculate where it is we need to go, in our quest to eliminate homelessness in Louisiana.
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
Page 3
Table of Contents
Pages Acknowledgements…………………………………..…….2
Table of Contents………………………………….…........3
Executive Summary………………………………….…..4-5
Introduction and Overview……………………….……...6-7
Purpose……………………………………………….…7-8 What Point-in-Time Homeless Data is Not…7-8
Definition of Homeless Populations…………………….….8
Methodology…………………………………………..8-11 Planning……………………………………..8-9 Survey Instrument and Collection of Data…9-11
State and Regional Homeless Census………..……....12-26 Homeless Census Survey Findings..………12-24 Housing Inventory………………………...25-26
Relational Demographic Data………………….........27-30
Appendix A: Survey Questionnaire…………………......31
Appendix B: Glossary of Terms………………….....32-34
Appendix C: Housing Inventory by CoC Region…....35-51
Appendix D: Demographics by State, CoC Region, and Parish ………………........................................52-70
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
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A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana Executive Summary
The Louisiana Homeless Census is a statewide effort to conduct an unduplicated count of the homeless population and obtain information directly from homeless services consumers in order to better assess their service and housing needs. The annual Homeless Census is comprised of three components: the Point-in-Time Count of persons experiencing literal homelessness, the Vulnerability Index survey that is used for identify most medically fragile persons residing in places unintended for human habitation or in emergency shelters for homeless persons, and the Housing Inventory, which allows for communities to assess the housing stock they have in place targeted to serve persons experiencing homelessness. Data derived from the Homeless Census provides a critical “snapshot” of homelessness as well as the services that are in place to respond. This information enables a better understanding of how homelessness is changing, measurement of the efficacy of these service networks, and reporting that informs the public at large of this issue. Building upon the understanding and experiences of the local Continua of Care, findings from the 2013 Homeless Census will be used to shape decisions made by local, state, and federal partners as we progress towards the goal of preventing and ending homelessness. It is the responsibility of organizations who receive funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide an enumeration of homelessness within their respective communities for a single night; in Louisianan, this was during the last week of February. Throughout the State, the extensive network of homeless assistance and prevention service providers, referred to as Continua of Care (CoCs), coordinate a count that spans from the northwestern corner of Caddo Parish to the southern tip of Jefferson Parish, and everything in between. These ten CoCs account for 62 of the 64 parishes in the State, and they have conducted intermittent Point-in-Time Counts since 1998, at least every two years, as mandated by HUD. However, over the past several years, there has been a series of modifications to the definition of ‘literally homeless1’ and therefore who should be included in the Count. For these reasons, this report focuses exclusively on the number of persons identified as literally homeless during the 2013 Point-in-Time date, with a brief comparison to data captured in 2011 and 2012, where pertinent.
1 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines a person as literally homeless only when he/she resides in:
A place not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, barns,
An Emergency Shelter, or
A Transitional Housing program for persons who were unsheltered or residing in an Emergency Shelter prior to entering the program.
70.1%
29.9%
Figure 1: 2013 Literally Homeless Persons Count
N= 5,248
Sheltered
Unsheltered
49.0% 51.0%
Figure 2: 2012 Literally Homeless Persons Count
N= 7,771
Sheltered
Unsheltered
36.6%
63.4%
Figure 3: 2011 Literally Homeless Persons Count
N= 9,291
Sheltered
Unsheltered
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
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5,886 3,964
1,568 3,405
3,807
3,680
0
7,500
2011 2012 2013
Figure 4: Literally Homeless Persons, 2011-2013
Unsheltered Sheltered
6,6
87
50
1
32
57
7
45
20
8
80
4
25
7
28
1
4,9
03
74
1
7 51
8
77
18
8
73
3
22
7
27
6 2,3
37
83
3
11
2
54
2
97
11
8
73
3
20
0
27
6
0
4,000
8,000
Figure 5: Comparison of Literally Homeless Persons Counts (2011-2013)
2011 2012 2013
On February 25th, 2013, 5,248 men, women, and children in Louisiana were identified as experiencing literal homelessness. This represents a significant overall reduction of 43.5 percent from 2011, when there were 9,291 homeless persons counted, and a 32.5 percent reduction since 2012, when 7,771 persons were counted. In general, the greatest decreases were seen for those persons who were residing in places not intended for human habitation, otherwise known as unsheltered. Those who were sheltered, or residing in Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing for
homeless persons, and Safe Havens, comprised 70 percent of the total in 2013, accounting for 3,680 people. This was a 4 percent decrease from the 2012 Sheltered Count, which identified 3,807 sheltered individuals, but an 8 percent increase since 2011. With these deep reductions to the overall unsheltered count, there has also been a
large shift in where literally homeless persons are residing. Namely, in 2013, there was a 43 percent increase in the proportion of sheltered to the total number of homeless individuals. With that said, these changes were not universal for each regional system of homeless services. Overall reductions in persons identified as experiencing homelessness were documented in 7 of the 10 regions, the varying affects to the sheltered and unsheltered counts. (refer to Figures 10, 11, and 12 on page 13).
To fully understand the implications of the Homeless Census, an assessment of the homeless services and housing at the regional system level was also completed. All of the CoCs calculated their bed capacities during the same period as the Census, allowing them to identify the number of Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, Safe Havens, and Permanent Supportive Housing beds that were in place on the night February 25th, noting how many were being utilized and how many were vacant. These utilization rates, contained later in this report, provide communities with a snapshot of regional systems of service delivery, in concert with a view of who is accessing assistance and who is remaining “on the street”. The 2013 Homeless Census focuses on a single point in the year, thereby profiling a select number of persons who are experiencing a housing crisis. Unfortunately, this is only one chapter in the story of homelessness. There are thousands more men, women, and children who are vulnerable, some for the first time, and some for a seeming endless number of years. The intent of this report is to provide the Continua of Care, and the State as a whole, with the necessary data to examine where people remain underserved and where strides are being made in ending homelessness. It is our goal to provide the data that communities can use to create and evaluate appropriate policies, and purposefully choose to invest in change that does end homelessness for all.
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
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A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana Introduction and Overview
This report contains the findings of the 2013 multifaceted, state-wide effort to document homelessness in Louisiana, and is intended to provide Louisiana’s Continua of Care and other stakeholders around the state with the data needed to determine where homeless persons remain underserved and where progress is being made in ending this blight. Because of the breadth of factors that contribute to homelessness, this issue must be examined from several different perspectives; therefore this report includes some analyses of the survey findings to assist in this endeavor.
1. Homeless Census: A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-mandated, nationwide census of people who are homeless is conducted on a selected night during the last ten days of January, unless a region arranges otherwise. For Louisiana, this date was moved to February 25th, 2013, to accommodate some regional factors. This census provides an overall count of the number of people who are homeless. The census data are categorized by whether the surveyed households are with or without children, and information about where the household is residing is sorted within one of three categories: (1) Unsheltered, or living in a place not meant for human habitation (cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, or barns); (2) Emergency Shelters; or (3) Transitional Housing programs/Safe Havens if the household was previously unsheltered or in Emergency Shelters. At the same time the Census is conducted, when possible, individuals residing on the streets or in Emergency Shelters are interviewed using the 100,000 Homes Vulnerability Index tool to determine the severity of their health and need for services.
Continua of Care Regions in Louisiana
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
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2. Housing Inventory for the Homeless: At the same time as the Homeless Census, an inventory is conducted of housing options available for addressing homelessness.
3. Demographic Profiles from the U.S. Census: To provide supplemental demographic data for planning, findings from the 2010 Federal Census that share common factors with homeless demographic data are included. U.S. Census data can be found in the appendix of this report. [Appendix D]
The information provided in this report is aggregated to the state level, and where possible, at the regional level by Continua of Care (CoCs), the collaborative networks of homeless service organizations throughout the State of Louisiana.
Purpose
This report provides summary and analyses of data gathered during the 2013 Louisiana Homeless
Census with the intent of providing Continua of Care and stakeholders around the state with
information about the outcomes of efforts made to reduce, prevent and end homelessness. This data
helps answer questions about who is most likely to be homeless, where they reside, and what their
needs are. Louisiana’s nonprofit, volunteer, for-profit, religious and governmental agencies may use
this information to develop insights and effectively advance their work for the homeless men, women,
and children in Louisiana through:
Strengthened coordination among various stakeholders;
Increased public awareness of homeless issues and support for solutions;
Evidence to offer planning and funding bodies, such as foundations, corporations, municipalities, and other community stakeholders, to aid in prioritizing funds for ending homelessness;
The ability to analyze changes in the numbers and characteristics of homeless populations to determine trends and ascertain the effectiveness of services provided; and
The ability to track progress locally in response to newer Federal goals and reporting requirements.
What Point-in-Time Homeless Data is Not
While data obtained from a Point-in-Time Survey is valuable, anyone choosing to use this data must
recognize the measurement issues involved in collecting data on homeless persons. First, there are
limits in its population coverage because some groups, such as the unsheltered in largely rural areas,
are difficult to locate. Secondly, not all identified persons are willing to release information. Third,
counts may reflect those homeless persons who actually participated or received housing services
from human services organizations participating in the count. In some communities, there is a reliance
on using service requests to count individuals, so people who do not seek services at this time might
not be identified as homeless. Fourth, people who are at imminent risk of becoming homeless, such as
those who are being evicted from rental housing or temporarily living with family or friends and have
no other housing resources, are not defined as literally homeless for the purposes of this census, and
therefore are not documented in this report. Lastly, while the definitions of homeless services used for
this census are becoming more standardized in recent years, there remain some inconsistencies in
‘service-type’ labels, leading to imprecise inclusion/exclusion of eligible persons in the census. The
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
Page 8
An HMIS is an electronic data collection system that stores longitudinal person-level information about persons who access the homeless services system in a Continuum of Care (CoC). HMIS is a valuable resource because of its capacity to integrate and unduplicate data from all homeless assistance and homelessness prevention programs in a CoC. Aggregate HMIS data can be used to understand the size, characteristics, and needs of the homeless population at the local, state, and national levels. ~U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Data Standards, Revised Notice, March 2010. Victim Service Provider Data is not included in HMIS, because victim service providers funded under HUD’s Supportive Housing, Shelter Plus Care, Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation SRO, Emergency Solutions Grant, and Continuum of Care Programs are prohibited from disclosing any personally identifying information for purposes of HMIS.
~U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-162)
(VAWA).
accuracy of data collection continues to improve as efforts to refine the counts progress. However,
this reported data demonstrates general patterns and is still applicable for planning purposes, as
long as the user acknowledges the possible biases and conservative assessments that accompany this
type of survey.
Definition of Homeless Populations There are multiple definitions of the term “homeless” used by various funding agencies; therefore it is
important to note that this report uses the definitions used by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD).2 The term “sheltered” in this report refers to persons who were living in
Emergency Shelters, including motel vouchers paid through human service organizations, Transitional
Housing programs for persons who came from the streets or Emergency Shelters, or Safe Havens on
the night of the census. The term “unsheltered” refers to persons who were sleeping outside or in some
place not appropriate for human habitation on the night of the count. Individuals and families who
are sharing housing due to economic hardship, often referred to as “doubled-up” or “couch surfing”,
and those facing evictions or repossession of their homes are not considered literally homeless, and
are therefore not included in the count. Persons who were residing in Permanent Supportive Housing
were also purposefully omitted from the count, but those beds were incorporated in the associated
inventory of housing for homeless and formally homeless persons. The term “chronic” refers to those
individuals with (or households with at least one adult who has) a disabling condition and have either
been continuously homeless for a year or more,
or have had at least four episodes of
homelessness in the past three years.
Methodology
Planning A committee comprised of CoC representatives
and Homeless Management Information
System (HMIS) administrators was formed in
2012 to plan for the statewide Homeless
Census. The night of Monday, February 25th,
was selected as the Point-in-Time, wherein
Continua of Care throughout Louisiana would
systematically identify and count the number
of men, women, and children experiencing
literal homelessness. The committee developed
the survey questions, and identified the
demographic and agency service usage data
that is needed to satisfy the various requests
for information by local and national agencies.
2 “Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing: Defining ‘Homeless.’” Federal Register 76:233 (December 5, 2011) p. 75994. Available from: https://www.onecpd.info/resources/documents/HEARTH_HomelessDefinition_FinalRule.pdf; Accessed: 8/9/13.
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
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Sheltered - residing in Emergency Shelters and
motels/apartments paid for by an agency; Transitional
Housing programs; or Safe Havens
Unsheltered - residing in places not meant for human
habitation, such as parks, abandoned buildings, et cetera.
Those living with others due to economic hardship, often called ‘doubling up’ or ‘couch surfing’ are not treated as being literally homeless.
Responsibility for performing the Census falls to the local CoC, who coordinates and supervises the
process, from the identification and recruitment of participating agencies/organizations and
volunteers for street counts, to providing training and accompanying materials, to distribution and
collection of the questionnaires, to data entry of results into the HMIS. As in 2012, the Homeless
Census Committee designed a survey instrument [Appendix A] that incorporated all desired data
elements, and developed an assessment format within the LSNDC database system that would allow
for electronic data entry and management of the survey responses. This effort allows each CoC to
be able to directly access their data, and it minimizes the number of persons who needed to be
surveyed, because many persons who were homeless on the night of the Count had already sought
services and were in the database.
Survey Instrument and Collection of Data The survey questionnaires were designed to be completed in one of two ways: (1) interviewing a known client or a person who may be homeless, or (2) having an agency representative complete the
survey on the behalf of clients residing in their Emergency Shelters or Transitional Housing programs, if they could provide the requested information. There were several driving forces behind much of the design of the data collection tool. The primary questions on the survey were derived from the HUD directive to identify the number of persons who are residing in Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing for homeless persons, Safe Havens, or who are without shelter during the designated night of the Count. The definitions of
these types of housing programs can be found in Appendix B. Specifically, HUD requests that the counts enumerate three categories: Households without Children, Households with at least one Child, and Child Only Households, where a child is anyone seventeen years of age or younger. As well, the survey must also solicit specific sub-population data, including the number of Veterans, those fleeing domestic violence, and persons with any of a series of selected disabling conditions. The survey was designed to capture information from unaccompanied homeless individuals (adult or youth), or from multiple persons within the same household while controlling for duplicate respondents. In addition, the Committee elected to incorporate questions that allowed CoCs to assess those respondents who were residing in unsheltered conditions or Emergency Shelters using the Vulnerability Index (VI)3.
3 The Vulnerability Index is an instrumental component of the 100,000 Homes Campaign, a national movement to identify by name homeless persons in communities who are most susceptible to death should they remain without permanent housing [http://100khomes.org/]
3 100,000 Homes. (2010). Retrieved September 4, 2012, from http://100khomes.org/
mortality for individuals who have been homeless for at least six months and possess one or more of the following markers: 1) More than three hospitalizations or emergency room visits in a year 2) More than three emergency room visits in the previous three months 3) Aged 60 or older 4) Cirrhosis of the liver 5) End-stage renal disease 6) History of weather-related disease 7) HIV/AIDS 8) Tri-morbidity: co-occurring psychiatric, substance
abuse, and chronic medical condition Using these eight risk factors, a score on a scale of zero
to eight is assigned, with zero indicating the least and
eight the greatest risk.
The Vulnerability Index (VI) is a method of identifying who is most at risk of dying by remaining unsheltered or in Emergency Shelters on an intermittent basis, based on national research examining morbidity amongst homeless persons. For individuals who have been homeless for at least six months, one or more of the following markers place them at heightened risk of mortality: 1) More than three hospitalizations or emergency room visits in a year, 2) More than three emergency room visits in the previous three months, 3) Aged 60 or older, 4) Cirrhosis of the liver, 5) End-stage renal disease, 6) History of weather-related diseases 7) HIV/AIDS, 8) Tri-morbidity: co-occurring psychiatric, substance abuse, and chronic medical condition, 9) Living on the streets for more than six months, as well as, 10) At least one of a series of specific health conditions. Using these eight risk factors, a score on a scale of zero to eight is assigned to the respondent, with zero (0) indicating those least vulnerable to mortality and eight (8) highlighting those who have the greatest risk. Communities can use this data to prioritize who may most benefit in terms of health by being placed in permanent housing. This model is being utilized throughout the United States through the 100,000 Homes Campaign3, and increasingly, communities are harnessing this data as part of their annual Point-in-Time Counts of homeless persons. Within Louisiana, several of the Continua are using Vulnerability Index findings to help focus decision-making around limited permanent housing program funds. Since the predominant method of conducting the Census was through the participation of human service organizations, including governmental social service agencies, community action agencies, homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, legal aid offices, churches, nonprofit organizations, and law enforcement agencies, it is important to note that there was a large variance in data collection among the CoCs. The level of variance depends on the physical composition of the region, the availability of resources, the abundance of human service providers, and so on. The metropolitan areas, notably New Orleans and Shreveport, possess a more extensive network of homeless services, providing an efficient collection of data in the short period of time used for the Census. It is also important to note that in 2013, Regions 1 & 10 used a statistically significant sampling of persons residing in abandoned buildings to derive their unsheltered count4, which reflects the exceptional situation of post-Katrina New Orleans. The more rural regions of the state often have a greater burden identifying homeless persons outside of those who are already receiving services on the chosen day, because widespread canvassing of these districts is not feasible. While the urban regions are able to identify blocks where unsheltered homeless persons are known to congregate, allowing volunteers to conduct interviews with concentrations of people, rural regions may be able to identify some areas where unsheltered homeless people are known to congregate, but many of the unsheltered homeless have difficulty traveling to those sites and remain unidentified. Ultimately, all of these efforts are not able to comprehensively reveal the true hidden homeless in any region.
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
Page 11
Most of the responses from the completed surveys were entered into the statewide Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) that is administered by the Louisiana Services Network Data Consortium (LSNDC). HMIS databases are utilized by CoCs across the United States to capture and record standardized data on homeless persons. Use of an HMIS for data entry and reporting is mandated for programs receiving funding for homeless services from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and/or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In Louisiana, the partnering organizations of all ten Continua utilize the LSNDC system to manage their client data. Because of this, many of those included in the Count, who were literally homeless and receiving services through one of these organizations, were therefore already recorded in the LSNDC system. Harnessing the HMIS for the Census minimized the entry of duplicate demographic information by the communities. Other persons surveyed were not already accessing services, so the interview was a first point of contact for these homeless persons who would have otherwise remained unknown to the CoC. Should these persons access homeless service networks in the future, there is now longitudinal information available that reflects their homelessness.
Figure 6 provides an alphabetical list of the parishes and their respective CoCs. The State of Louisiana is divided into ten Continua of Care, with each CoC encompassing multiple parishes. Each of the Continua of Care encompasses one or more Regions. Region 8, in the northeast corner of Louisiana is the largest, with a CoC comprised of twelve parishes, while Regions 1 and 10 contain one parish each, and are combined into one CoC. Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes are not part of any Continua. Appendix D provides demographic detail about the parishes that compromise each region.
Figure 6: Regional Continua of Care Composition by Parish
Parish Region (CoC) Parish Region (CoC) Parish Region (CoC)
ACADIA 4 IBERIA 4 ST. CHARLES 3
ALLEN 5 IBERVILLE 2 ST. HELENA 9
ASCENSION 2 JACKSON 8 ST. JAMES 3
ASSUMPTION 3 JEFF. DAVIS 5 ST. JOHN 3
AVOYELLES 6 JEFFERSON 10 ST. LANDRY 4
BEAUREGARD 5 LA SALLE 6 ST. MARTIN 4
BIENVILLE 7 LAFAYETTE 4 ST. MARY 4
BOSSIER 7 LAFOURCHE 3 ST. TAMMANY 9
CADDO 7 LINCOLN 8 TANGIPAHOA 9
CALCASIEU 5 LIVINGSTON 9 TENSAS 8
CALDWELL 8 MADISON 8 TERREBONNE 3
CAMERON 5 MOREHOUSE 8 UNION 8
CATAHOULA 6 NATCHITOCHES 7 VERMILLION 4
CLAIBORNE 7 ORLEANS 1 VERNON 6
CONCORDIA 6 OUACHITA 8 W. BATON ROUGE 2
DE SOTO 7 PLAQUEMINES not in CoC W. CARROLL 8
E BATON ROUGE 2 POINTE COUPEE 2 W. FELICIANA 2
E. FELICIANA 2 RAPIDES 6 WASHINGTON 9
EAST CARROLL 8 RED RIVER 7 WEBSTER 7
EVANGELINE 4 RICHLAND 8 WINN 6
FRANKLIN 8 SABINE 7 GRANT 6 ST. BERNARD not in CoC
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
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State and Regional Homeless Census: Point-in-Time Survey Findings
As a starting point, 5,248 persons were identified as experiencing literal homelessness on February 25th
across Louisiana [Figure 7]. The majority, or 73 percent, of these persons were in households without children,
25 percent were in households with at least one child and adult, and almost 2 percent, were in children-only
households. These numbers reflect significant changes from 2011. The number of households without children
fell by almost 52 percent, from 7,934 to 3,843. During the three year span, households with at least one child
and adult saw a 5 percent increase, from 1,253 to 1,320, which is a 9 percent decrease from the 1,450
persons in 2012 and the count in 2013. Sadly, the number of child only households actually rose by 66
percent, from 51 to 85, between 2012 and 2013. Please note that Transitional Housing includes those
persons who were residing in Safe Havens. This was a separate reporting division in the 2012 and 2013
requirements set forth by HUD, but for the purposes of this report they are treated as a single housing type.
1,077
294
31
1,264
961
53
1,502
65 1 0
400
800
1,200
1,600
Persons in Households withoutChildren
Persons in Households with at leastOne Adult and One Child
Persons in Child Only Households
Figure 7: Counts of Literally Homeless Persons Statewide (2013) N = 5,248
In Emergency Shelter In Transitional Housing Unsheltered
1,320 3,843
1,111
243 10
1,288 1,126
18
3,871
81 23 0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
Persons in Households withoutChildren
Persons in Households with at leastOne Adult and One Child
Persons in Child Only Households
Figure 8: Counts of Literally Homeless Persons Statewide (2012) N = 7,771
In Emergency Shelter In Transitional Housing Unsheltered
1,450 6,270 51
945 276
1,252 932
5,737
45 0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
Persons in Households withoutChildren
Persons in Households with at leastOne Adult and One Child
Persons in Child Only Households
Figure 9: Counts of Literally Homeless Persons Statewide (2011) N = 9,291
In Emergency Shelter In Transitional Housing Unsheltered
1,253 7,934
**Persons in Child Only Households were not
counted as a separately in 2011 Count**
85
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Page 13
COMPARISON OF ANNUAL COUNTS - Figures 10, 11, and 12 exhibit the Sheltered and Unsheltered
Counts for the years 2011 through 2013 for each of the ten regions. While the aggregate data for the state
indicates a drastic reduction in the count of persons experiencing literal homelessness between 2011 and
2013 (Figures 7-9), an analysis of this same data at the regional level demonstrates that this is not a universal
trend. Unsheltered Counts were decreased in Regions 1 & 10, 2, 6, and 9 between 2011 and 2013, but for
the remaining regions saw an increase in the number of Unsheltered Persons. There was also large variance in
changes amongst counts for persons residing in Emergency Shelters and Transitional Housing programs during
the three year span. For example, Region 7 identified a 114 percent increase in the number of persons in
Emergency Shelter, but a 32.2 percent decrease in persons in Transitional Housing. For the same time period,
Region 9 counted 18.1 percent fewer people in Emergency Shelter, but 14.0 more people were residing in
Transitional Housing.
57
5
73
7 19
7
20
78
11
1
55
10
5
73
8
27
7
18
28
8
24
95
46
6
14
2
13
6
5,3
74
15
1
7 92
1 35
15
6
30
40
0
3,500
7,000
Figure 12: Counts of Literally Homeless Persons by Region (2011)
In Emergency Shelter In Transitional Housing Unsheltered
57
8
15
8
60
16
5
30
38
23
8
49
86
72
0
56
5
42
26
8
40
49
31
6
12
3
15
5
1,0
39
11
0
10
10
9
27
31
17
9
28
35
0
600
1,200
Figure 10: Counts of Literally Homeless Persons by Region (2013)
In Emergency Shelter In Transitional Housing Unsheltered
60
1
13
1
1 19
4
58
52
16
9
73
85
86
3
45
7
4 24
5
8 12
1
45
7
12
5
15
2
3,4
39
15
3
2 79
11
15
17
8
59
39
0
2,000
4,000
Figure 11: Counts of Literally Homeless Persons by Region (2012)
In Emergency Shelter In Transitional Housing Unsheltered
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COUNTS OF LITERALLY HOMELESS PERSONS in 2013 - Figures 13, 14, and 15 examine the 2013 at the
regional level, otherwise known as the Continuum of Care (CoC). Respondents are classified under Emergency
Shelter, Transitional Housing (including Safe Havens), and Unsheltered within each Continuum of Care region.
The largest number of homeless persons were identified in Regions 1 and 10 (Orleans and Jefferson
Parishes), with a total of 2,337. These regions comprise 44.5 percent of the total enumeration for 2013,
including 66.2 percent of all unsheltered persons (1,039 of 1,568). Region 5, representing the parishes in the
Lake Charles area, identified the fewest number of literally homeless persons, 97 persons or 1.8 percent of
the State count.
Because there is such a vast range amongst the regions, the composition of literally homeless persons is not universal within Louisiana. A closer examination of the regional counts demonstrates that unsheltered counts range from 9 to 44 percent of each Continuum of Cares total population, with an average of 18.6 percent of the regional composition. Persons in Emergency Shelters comprise 23.9 percent of the mean regional composition (18.9–53.5 percent), while persons in Transitional Housing comprise 46.8 percent of the mean regional composition (30.1-67.2 percent).
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500
Region 9
Region 8
Region 7
Region 6
Region 5
Region 4
Region 3
Region 2
Regions 1 & 10
Region 9Region 8Region 7Region 6Region 5Region 4Region 3Region 2Regions 1
& 10
In Emergency Shelter 8649238383016560158578
In Transitional Housing 155123316494026842565720
Unsheltered 35281793127109101101,039
Figure 13: Counts of Literally Homeless Persons
by Region and Living Situation (2013) N = 5,248
86
49
238
38
30
165
60
158
578
155
123
316
49
40
268
42
565
720
35
28
179
31
27
109
10
110
1,039
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Region 9Region 8Region 7Region 6Region 5Region 4Region 3Region 2
Regions 1 & 10
Figure 14: Composiitons of Literally Homeless Persons by Region (2013) N = 5,248
In Emergency Shelter In Transitional Housing Unsheltered
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Figure 15 provides all Point-In-Time Counts, both sheltered and unsheltered, of literally homeless persons by Region within the State. The numbers of persons residing in Safe Havens are shown separately from the Transitional Housing counts in this figure. The CoC Number is an assigned designation made by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Figure 15: 2013 Counts of Homeless Persons by Regional Continuum of Care
Region Name CoC
Number Unsheltered
In Emergency
Shelter
In Transitional
Housing
In Safe Haven
Total Count
Region 1 & 10 - Orleans and Jefferson
LA-503
1,039 578 705 15 2,337
Persons in Households without Children 1,011 503 293 15 1,822
Persons in Households with only Children 1 3 22 26
Persons in Households with at least one Adult and one Child 27 72 390 489
Region 2 - Baton Rouge
LA-504
110 158 565 0 833
Persons in Households without Children 110 122 554 0 787
Persons in Households with only Children 0 11 1 12
Persons in Households with at least one Adult and one Child 0 25 9 34
Region 3 - Houma
LA-508
10 60 42 0 112
Persons in Households without Children 10 26 24 0 60
Persons in Households with only Children 0 0 0 0
Persons in Households with at least one Adult and one Child 0 34 18 52
Region 4 - Lafayette
LA-500
109 165 268 0 542
Persons in Households without Children 120 129 109 0 358
Persons in Households with only Children 0 0 0 0
Persons in Households with at least one Adult and one Child 0 45 139 184
Region 5 - Lake Charles
LA-501
27 30 40 0 97
Persons in Households without Children 18 37 27 0 82
Persons in Households with only Children 0 9 3 12
Persons in Households with at least one Adult and one Child
0 3 0 3
Region 6 - Alexandria
LA-507
31 38 49 0 118
Persons in Households without Children 29 38 25 0 92
Persons in Households with only Children 0 0 0 0
Persons in Households with at least one Adult and one Child 2 0 24 26
Region 7 - Shreveport
LA-502
179 238 308 8 733
Persons in Households without Children 149 170 83 8 410
Persons in Households with only Children 0 1 27 28
Persons in Households with at least one Adult and one Child 30 67 198 295
Region 8 - Monroe
LA-505
28 49 114 9 200
Persons in Households without Children 28 20 24 9 81
Persons in Households with only Children 0 7 0 7
Persons in Households with at least one Adult and one Child 0 22 90 112
Region 9 - Northshore
LA-506
35 86 155 0 276
Persons in Households without Children 29 60 62 0 151
Persons in Households with only Children 0 0 0 0
Persons in Households with at least one Adult and one Child 6 26 93 125
Total
1,568 1,402 2,245 33 5,248
Persons in Households without Children 1,504 1,105 1,201 33 3,843
Persons in Households with only Children 1 31 53 85
Persons in Households with at least one Adult and one Child
65 294 961 1,320
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
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1,436 35.4%
2,612 64.4%
5 0.1%
Figure 17: Gender of Literally Homeless Persons
Female
Male
Transgender*
N = 4,053
*Transgender is defined as self-identification with, or presentation as, a gender that is different from the gender at birth.
2,490 63.0%
1,282 32.4%
131 3.3%
48 1.2%
Figure 18: Race of Literally Homeless Persons
Black or African-AmericanWhite
Two or more races
Other*
*American Indian or Alaskan Native (0.7%), Asian (0.3%), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (0.2%) N = 3,951
110 2.8%
3,782 97.2%
Figure 19: Ethnicity of Literally Homeless Persons
Hispanic/Latino
Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino
N = 3,892
AGE GROUPS - Figure 16 displays the age ranges of persons experiencing literal homelessness. Of the 5,248 persons identified as literally homeless, 78 percent provided a birth date. Over a third (38.52%) of the reported ages fell between 45 and 64, while a little over 12 percent (12.23%) are children of school age (6-17) and another 8.74 percent are infants/toddlers five and under. Of the 859 children 17 and under, 4.59 percent of school-aged children were unsheltered, as were almost 2 percent of infants (1.96%).
RACE, GENDER, AND ETHNICITY - Figures 17, 18, and 19 provide demographic data of survey participants
who were identified as literally homeless. Not all participants
answered these questions: 77.23 percent identified their
gender, 75.29 percent their race, and 74.16 percent their
ethnicity. Of those who shared this information, a vast
majority identified themselves as Male (64.4%), Black or
African-American (63%), and Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino
(97.2%). The numbers for those who self-identify as
Transgender (0.1%); American Indian or Alaskan Native,
Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (1.2%); and
Hispanic/Latino (2.8%) are very small. These may indicate a
fairly homogeneous community in Louisiana, or that these
communities are less likely to fall into homelessness, allow
themselves to be identified, or seek assistance. This is an area
that would likely benefit from socialogical study.
0-5 6-12 13-17 18-24 25-44 45-64 65+
Unsheltered 7 14 9 37 363 545 23
In Transitional Housing* 296 259 121 179 556 491 24
In Emergency Shelter 55 55 43 124 323 542 31
0
300
600
900
1,200
1,500
1,800
Figure 16: Ages of Literally Homeless Persons
* "In Transitional Housing" inclusive of persons residing in Safe Havens
N = 4,097
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HOMELESSNESS AMONGST VETERANS - Figure 20 focuses upon homelessness amongst Veterans, a
population which has seen a concentration of services by HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
over the past few years. In Lousiana, 573 Veterans were identified as being literally homeless during the
Census, or 59.2 percent, of all reporting adults. Of those persons, approximately one third (33.5%) were
residing in places not intended for human habitation, while the other two thirds (66.5%) were sleeping in
Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing, or Safe Havens on the night of February 25th. This count includes
those homeless Veterans sheltered in programs in Regions 1 & 10, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9 that target their services
to homeless Veterans.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS - Figure 21 provides counts of the number of adults who self-reported as
being victims of domestic violence on the night of the Census. Of the 727 persons, or 75.1 percent of literally
homeless adults, almost eight out of ten of them were accessing temporary housing at Emergency Shelters or
Transitional Housing. A staggering 20 percent (20.1%) were without shelter. It should be noted that this
information was only requested of the survey respondents and not of additional household members
(children). However, this number may be artificially low, as there is a concern that some domestic violence
victims do not seek services or avoid identification due to fears of children being removed from the parent
due to the homeless situation as well as fears of being found by the perpetrator of the violence.
Regions1 & 10
Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Region 6 Region 7 Region 8 Region 9
Unsheltered 92 48 0 15 6 2 23 4 2
Sheltered 119 48 15 47 7 22 74 2 47
0
50
100
150
200
250
Po
pu
lati
on
Figure 20: Homeless Veterans by Region (2013) N = 573
Regions 1& 10
Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Region 6 Region 7 Region 8 Region 9
Unsheltered 67 17 0 13 7 7 29 3 3
Sheltered 145 43 47 126 22 10 92 49 47
0
50
100
150
200
250
Po
pu
lati
on
Figure 21: Victims of Domestic Violence by Region (2013) N=727
20.1%
79.9%
66.5%
33.5%
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DISABILITIES AND HOMELESSNESS - Figures 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 substantiate the prevalence of specific
CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS - Figures 29, 30, and 31 provide an overview of the number of persons
identified as experiencing chronic homelessness, which was 1,073 persons in the 2013 Homeless Census. A
chronically homeless person is defined as an unaccompanied homeless individual (18 or older) with a
disabling condition, or a family with at least one adult member (18 or older) who has a disabling condition,
who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more or has had at least four (4) episodes of
homelessness in the past three (3) years5. Persons who are residing in Emergency Shelters, because it is often
episodic with intermittent periods of sleeping on the streets, may be considered chronically homeless when
meeting the other measures. In the 2013 Louisiana Homeless Census, 20.4 percent of the population was
identified as chronically homeless, with 1,017 individuals, or persons without children, and 56 persons in
families. A little over three quarters of chronically homeless individuals (77.7%) were unsheltered on the night
of the Census, with the most in Regions 1 & 10, where they have a vast number of persons living in
abandoned buildings that became uninhabitable during Hurricane Katrina [Figure 30]. For chronically
homeless families, less than two-thirds (67.9%) were unsheltered during the night of the Count [Figure 31].
Figure 29: Comparison of Chronically Homeless Persons by Region, 2013 & 2011
Region
2013 2011
Change in Percentage of
Total Count
Count of Literally
Homeless Persons
Count of Chronically
Homeless Persons
% of Count
Count of Literally
Homeless Persons
Count of Chronically
Homeless Persons
% of Count
Regions 1 & 10- Orleans & Jefferson
2,337 677 29.0% 6,687 4,010 60.0% -31.0%
Region 2 - Baton Rouge 833 70 8.4% 501 110 22.0% -13.6% Region 3 - Houma 112 15 13.4% 32 11 34.4% -21.0% Region 4 - Lafayette 542 83 15.3% 577 35 6.1% 9.2% Region 5 - Lake Charles 97 10 10.3% 45 6 13.3% -3.0% Region 6 - Alexandria 118 9 7.6% 208 27 13.0% -5.4% Region 7 - Shreveport 733 155 21.1% 804 94 11.7% 9.5% Region 8 - Monroe 200 23 11.5% 257 30 11.7% -0.2% Region 9- Northshore 276 31 11.2% 281 29 10.3% 0.9%
Total 5,248 1,073 20.4% 9,392 4,352 46.3% -25.9%
5 US Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2011, October). 2012 Housing Inventory Count and Point-in-Time Count of Homeless Persons Data Collection
Guidance. Washington, DC: Author.
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Page 21
Regions 1& 10
Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Region 6 Region 7 Region 8 Region 9
Unsheltered 561 42 6 40 9 6 107 13 6
Sheltered 88 14 9 31 1 3 46 10 25
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700P
op
ula
tio
n
Figure 30: Counts of Chronically Homeless Individuals by Region N = 1,017
Regions 1& 10
Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 Region 6 Region 7 Region 8 Region 9
Unsheltered 26 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0
Sheltered 2 14 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Po
pu
lati
on
Figure 31: Counts of Chronically HomelessFamilies by Region N = 56
22.3%
77.7%
32.1%
67.9%
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
Page 22
VI Score=1 56.1%
VI Score=2 26.8%
VI Score=3 12.4%
VI Score=4 3.2%
VI Score=5 1.1%
VI Score=6 0.4%
Figure 33: Distribution of Vulnerability Index Scores
Possible scale of 0-8; No participants had a
Vulnerability Index Score of greater than 6.
N = 467
LENGTH OF TIME UNSHELTERED – Figure 32 builds upon the experience of those persons who were
unsheltered on the night of the Count. Of the 1,568 who provided an estimate of the length of time they had
been living on the streets, a little over 35 percent (551 persons, or 35.1percent) had been without steady
shelter or housing for a year or more. Moreover, 155 persons, or 9.9 percent, reported that they had been
unsheltered for five years or longer, including the 62 persons who have been homeless for ten years or
longer.
VULNERABILITY INDEX – Figures 33, 34, and 35 examine the findings from the Vulnerablity Index questions that were incorporated into the 2013 Homeless Census in Louisiana. The Vulnerability Index (VI) is a nationally recognized tool6 for identifying who is most at risk of dying by remaining unsheltered or in Emergency Shelters on an intermittent basis. The LSNDC elected to conduct a VI assessment of the persons who were surveyed during the Homeless Census [Figure 33]. For the state as a whole saw nearly 10 percent of the persons surveyed (467, or 8.9 percent of 5,248), were deemed vulnerable to some extent, with a score of one or greater. Regions 1 & 10, consisting of the two parishes of New Orleans, have the greatest number of vulnerable homeless persons, followed by Region 4, consisting of the 8 parishes around Lafayette [Figure 34]. Of the persons who were surveyed for the purposes of the VI, over half (262 or 56.1 percent) were at the lowest level of vulnerability, with a score of one. There were 125 who scored twos (26.8
6 The Vulnerability Index is practical application of research into the causes of death of homeless individuals living on the street conducted by
Boston’s Healthcare for the Homeless organization, led by Dr. Jim O’Connell. The Boston research identified the specific health conditions that cause homeless individuals to be most at risk for dying on the street.
239
151 120
152
62 45
458
169
63 61 31 17
0
100
200
300
400
500
Figure 32: Total Length of Time Homeless by Location of Respondent
Unsheltered In Emergency Shelter<6
Months 44.5%
6 - 12 Months 20.4%
1-2 Years 11.7%
2-5 Years 13.6%
5-10 Years 5.9%
10+ Years 4.0%
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
Page 23
percent), 58 (12.4 percent) with scores of three, 15 (3.2 percent) with a score of four, 5 with a score of five (1.1 percent), and 2 with a score of six (0.4 percent). No one was found with a score of seven or eight. [Figure 33]. Figure 35 provides a comparison of persons surveyed and those deemed vulnerable, with a score of one or greater. Findings indicate that those persons with one or more qualifying vulnerabilities are approximately 20 percent of all persons surveyed who were residing in an emergency shelter or unsheltered.
N = 467 Figure 34: Vulnerability Scores by Continuum of Care
Figure 39: Counts of Health Insurance amongst Literally Homeless Persons Unsheltered In Emergency Shelter
Time in Area – Figures 36 and 37 demonstrate that approximately one third of all literally homeless respondents have been in the communities in which they reside for the entirety of their lives, while one in five persons have lived in their respective communities for five years or longer. Collectively, they comprised 54.0 percent of the total number of persons. Slightly less than half of the respondents (46.0 percent) had been residing in the locations where surveyed for less than five years [Figure 36]. The prevalence of homelessness amongst persons who were native or new to the community varied. In Regions 1 & 10, 2, 5, and 7, more than 50 percent of all respondents had resided in their communities for longer than five years (51.9 – 60.7 percent). In Regions 3, 4, 6, 8, and 9, a greater percentage of persons experiencing literal homelessness had resided in their communities for five or fewer years 9 59.3 – 62.5). Figure 37 provides the counts of persons for each time designation.
Health Insurance – Figures 38 and 39 display the number of persons who reported whether he or she had
health insurance. In total, of the 771 respondents, more than half were insured (440 or 57.1 percent). The majority of those who did have health insurance (384 or 87.2 percent of insured persons) were enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare, or both public health care programs. Twenty-six persons (5.9 percent) were enrolled in a private insurance program, not including Tricare. Twenty-two persons (5.0 percent) were enrolled in Tricare or some other U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health benefits program. Four respondents (0.9 percent) had LaCHIP for their dependent children, and 4 persons (0.9 percent) stated they
had other health insurance benefits that were not listed.
144 49 10 73 16 7 76 7 23
88 25
6 42 8
7 52 18 15 140
36 6 35
21 5
58
10 18 219 44 5 42 16 7 105
5 8
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Figure 37: Length of Time in Area By Region Less than One Year One to Five Years More than Five Years Native of the Area
N = 1,446
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Emergency Shelter (ES): programs that provide a temporary place to stay for persons experiencing a housing crisis or are without permanent housing. Sheltering may take place within a facility intended for persons experiencing homelessness, or it may be provided through motel/hotel vouchers that are paid by a service organization. Stays are usually less than six months.
Rapid Re-Housing (RRH): A HUD-funded program that was designed to assist persons experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized. This housing type is new to the 2013 Inventory.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH): programs that provide affordable, community-based housing for individuals and families who have experienced long-term or chronic homelessness and have been diagnosed with a long term disabling condition. Structures include apartments, houses, group homes or single-room occupancy housing; most offer some type of case management and housing support.
Safe Haven (SH): programs that serve chronically homeless individuals living with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders and do not require a commitment to services as a precondition for housing.
Transitional Housing (TH): programs that provide extended shelter and supportive services for homeless individuals and/or families with the goal of helping them live independently and transition into permanent housing; stays are generally longer than two weeks but typically 60 days or more and, in many cases, up to two years or more; may be configured for specialized thin the homeless population such as people with substance abuse problems, homeless mentally ill, homeless domestic violence victims, Veterans or homeless people with AIDS/HIV.
State and Regional Homeless Census: Housing Inventory In addition to enumerating the number of
persons experiencing literal homelessness, Continua of Care across the state of Louisiana also
assessed the availability of housing on the night of February 25th. Of note, the Housing Inventory also
includes Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program beds and Rapid Re-Housing program (RRH)
beds. Persons residing in housing provided through one of these programs are no longer literally
homeless; thusly, they were not included in any of the Homeless Census reporting. Nevertheless, the
prevalence of PSH and RRH programs are major components to ending homelessness, and an annual
accounting of this type of housing is critical to meeting the federal goal. The following series of charts
shows the number of both occupied and unoccupied beds, grouped by both housing and household
type. The housing types are Emergency Shelters, Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Re-Housing,
Safe Havens, and Transitional Housing. The Point-in-Time Count for each program is also listed, as
well as the utilization rate of the beds. In total, there were 9,409 beds available, of which 3,596
were for households with children, 5,789 were for households without children, and 24 were for
households with only children. The mean utilization rate for all housing categories was 84.1 percent,
wherein 7,915 of the beds were occupied on the night of the Homeless Census. In total, 114 fewer
beds were identified in 2013 than in 2012, when the utilization rate was 74.2 percent. Utilization
rates vary amongst the housing types. Emergency Shelters had the smallest percentage of occupied
beds, with 66.6 percent of them filled. The remaining housing categories had utilization rates of 87.9
percent to 91.5 percent.
It should be noted that some variance may be attributed to inconsistencies with the reporting of Point-in-time counts or the number of beds that were in place on the night of the Census. The beds may have been apportioned based on average utilization rates during the year or the beds may have been apportioned based on how they are used on the night of the Count8. Appendix C contains a listing of agencies and programs that provide the housing services along with their individual number
of beds, units, and statistics.
8 US Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2011, October). 2012 Housing Inventory Count and Point-in-Time Count of Homeless Persons Data Collection Guidance. Washington, DC: Author.
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
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Figure 40: Housing Inventory for State of Louisiana - 2013
Housing/Program Type
Households with Children
Households without Children
Households with Only Children
Total Beds
# of Occupied
Beds
Utilization Rate
Overflow Beds
# of Units # of Beds # of Beds # of Beds
ES Beds and Units: Total 208 754 1,287 11 2,052 1,366 66.6% 163
Total of All Beds & Units 1,439 3,596 5,789 24 9,409 7,915 84.1% 163
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RELATIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC DATA BY REGION – Figures 41, 42, 43 and 44 provide relevant demographic data for each region in order to provide context for the Census results. These figures are taken from the 2010 Federal and State Census data for each CoC. This data includes: gender, race, ethnicity, age, educational attainment, household and family counts, housing data, financials, income, poverty rate, cash benefits, non-cash benefits, employment, transportation, and health. For a complete set of census data at the state, CoC, Regional and Parish levels, please see Appendix D.
Figure 41 – REGIONS 1 & 10 THROUGH 5: Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Age, Educational Attainment, Household Counts, and Housing Data
FIGURE 41 Region 1 & 10 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5
Demographics
Population 776,381 663,255 352,405 638,768 292,619
Gender
Male 376,256 325,363 173,586 311,967 145,560
Female 400,125 337,892 178,819 326,801 147,059
Race
White alone 385,543 356,968 237,327 432,079 215,914
Black or African American alone 320,758 273,432 90,833 177,847 64,009
American Indian or Alaska Native alone 3,085 1,630 9,544 2,977 2,069
Asian alone 26,653 13,708 9,081 8,167 2,541
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 313 237 149 155 119
Some other race alone 24888 9,056 5,887 7,961 2,323
Two or more races 15,141 8,224 5965 9,582 5,617
Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 71,753 23,457 13,645 19425 6,982
Not Hispanic or Latino 704,628 639798 338,760 619,343 285,637
Age
Under 18 170,612 160,234 90,810 165,967 74,255
18-44 298,351 26,1769 126,678 231,107 103,486
45-64 210,791 169,351 94363 165,519 77,136
65 and over 96,627 71,901 40,554 76,175 37,742
Educational Attainment
High School Graduate or Higher * 146,545 127,526 88,437 149,053 70,374
Households
Total Number of Families * 171,393 158,596 91,195 161,715 75,470
Total Number of Households * 279,519 241,324 122,340 235,145 107,231
Housing
Total Housing Units 379,031 274,409 138,681 269,299 123,730
Occupied Housing Units 311,805 249,682 126,552 242,894 110,017
Vacant Housing Unit 67,226 24,727 12,129 26,405 13,713
* = data obtained using the American Community Survey 5-year estimates
= Louisiana Department Health and Hospitals
^ = Realty Trac
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Figure 44 - REGIONS 6 THROUGH 9 AND STATE TOTAL: Financials, Income, Poverty Rate, Cash Benefits, Non-Cash Benefits, Employment, Transportation, and Health
FIGURE 44 Region 6 Region 7 Region 8 Region 9 Total
Financials
Foreclosure 10 165 71 349 1690
Median Income
Median Household Income * $36,348 $36,313 $37,757 $42,457 $41,872
Median Family Income * $44,259 $46,515 $46,378 $51,145 $52,177
Median Worker Income * $22,983 $23,700 $21,608 $26,844 $25,543
* = data obtained using the American Community Survey 5-year estimates
= Louisiana Department Health and Hospitals
^ = Realty Trac
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Appendix A:
2013 Homeless Demographics
& Needs Survey Questionnaire
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
Page 32
Appendix B:
Glossary of Terms
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Page 33
Age: Generally derived from date of birth information, and is based on the age of the person in complete years.
Armed Forces: Members of the U.S. Armed Forces (people on active duty with the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard).
Below poverty level: Following the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB’s) Directive 14, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to detect who is poor. If the total income for a family or unrelated individual falls below the relevant poverty threshold, then the family or unrelated individual is classified as being "below the poverty level."
Chronically Homeless Family: A household with at least one adult member (persons 18 or older) who has a disabling condition (see definition below) and who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more OR has had at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the past three (3) years. To be considered chronically homeless, persons must have been sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation (e.g., living on the streets) and/or in an Emergency Shelter/Safe Haven during that time. For purposes of the PIT, persons living in Transitional Housing at the time of the PIT count should not be included in this subpopulation category; the subpopulation count should include all members of the household.
Chronically Homeless Individual: An unaccompanied homeless adult individual (persons years or older) with a disabling condition (see definition below) who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more OR has had at least four (4) episodes of in the past three (3) years. To be considered chronically homeless, persons must have sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation (e.g., living on the streets) and/ Emergency Shelter/Safe Haven during that time. Persons under the age of 18 are not as chronically
homeless. For purposes of the PIT, persons living in Transitional Housing at the time of the PIT count should not be included in this subpopulation category.
Chronic Substance Abuse: This category on the PIT includes persons with a substance abuse problem (alcohol abuse, drug abuse, or both) that is expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration and substantially impairs the person’s ability to live independently.
Civilian Labor Force: All of those in the labor force with the exclusion of people on active duty in the United States Armed Forces.
Continuum of Care (CoC): A regional or local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals.
Contributory HMIS Program: A program that contributes Protected Personal Information (PPI) or other client-level data to an HMIS.
Disabling Condition: A physical, mental, or emotional impairment which is (a) expected to be of long continued and indefinite duration, (b) substantially impedes an individual’s ability to live independently, and (c) of such a nature that such ability could be improved by more suitable housing conditions; (3) a developmental disability as defined in Section 102 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act; (4) the disease of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or any conditions arising from the etiological agency for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; or (5) a diagnosable substance abuse disorder (As defined in Section 223 of the Social Security Administration Act). Domestic Violence Survivor: Someone who has fled the willful intimidation, assault, battery, sexual assault or other abusive behavior perpetrated by a family member, household member, or intimate partner.
Educational Attainment: Refers to the highest level of education completed in terms of the highest degree or the highest level of schooling completed. Individuals who possess at least a high school diploma.
Emergency Shelter: Programs that provide a temporary place to stay for newcomers, travelers, people who are in crisis, or homeless individuals in the community. Stays are usually less than six months.
Employed: Includes all civilians 16 years old and over who were either (1) "at work" -- those who did any work at all during the reference week as paid employees, worked in their own business or profession, worked on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers on a family farm or in a family business; or (2) were "with a job but not at work" -- those who did not work during the reference week but had jobs or businesses from which they were temporarily absent due to illness, bad weather, industrial dispute, vacation, or other personal reasons.
Foreclosure: Number of homes who filed foreclosure documents.
Head of household (HOH): An individual within a family group who provides support and maintenance to one or more individuals who are related to him or her through adoption, blood, marriage, or who was residing with other persons on the night of the Homeless Census. This was self-designated for survey purposes.
Homeless Census: The annual Homeless Census is comprised of three components: the Point-in-Time Count of persons experiencing literal homelessness, the Vulnerability Index survey that is used for identify most medically fragile persons residing in places unintended for human habitation or in emergency shelters for homeless persons, and the Housing Inventory, which allows for communities to assess the housing stock they have in place targeted to serve persons experiencing homelessness.
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Homeless Person: For the purposes of the Homeless Census, a homeless person is someone who is living on the street, in an Emergency Shelter, in Transitional Housing for homeless persons, or in a Safe Haven.
In Labor Force: The labor force includes all people classified in the civilian labor force, plus members of the U.S. Armed Forces (people on active duty with the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard). The Civilian Labor Force consists of people classified as employed or unemployed.
Median Income: The median income divides the income distribution into two equal groups, those with incomes above the median, and those with incomes below the median.
Not in Labor Force: Consists mainly of students, housewives, retired workers, seasonal workers interviewed in an off season who were not looking for work, institutionalized people, and people doing incidental unpaid family work.
Permanent Supportive Housing: Programs that provide affordable, community-based housing for individuals and families who have experienced long-term or chronic homelessness and have been diagnosed as having a physical or developmental disability, a severe mental illness, substance abuse problems or HIV/AIDS; structures include apartments, single-family houses, duplexes, group homes or single-room occupancy housing; most offer some type of case management and housing support.
Persons with HIV/AIDS: This subpopulation category of the PIT includes persons who have been diagnosed with AIDS and/or have tested positive for HIV.
Population: All people, male and female, child and adult, living in a geographic area.
Protected Personal Information (PPI): Information about a client: (1) whose identity is apparent from the information or can reasonably be ascertained from the information; or (2) whose identity can, taking into account any methods reasonably likely to be used, be learned by linking the information with other available information or by otherwise manipulating the information.
Race: A self-identification data item in which respondents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify.
Rapid Re-Housing (RRH): A HUD-funded program that was designed to assist persons experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized. This housing type is new to the 2013 Inventory.
Severely Mentally Ill (SMI): This subpopulation category of the PIT includes persons with mental health problems that are expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration and substantially impairs the person’s ability to live independently.
Safe Haven (SH): Programs that serve chronically homeless individuals living with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders and do not require a commitment to services as a precondition for housing.
Social Security Income (SSI): Individuals receiving Social Security Income.
Transitional Housing: programs that provide extended shelter and supportive services for homeless individuals and/or families with the goal of helping them live independently and transition into permanent housing; stays are generally longer than two weeks but typically 60 days or more and, in many cases, up to two years or more; may be configured for specialized groups within the homeless population such as people with substance abuse problems, homeless mentally ill, homeless domestic violence victims, Veterans or homeless people with AIDS/HIV.
Unaccompanied Child (under 18): This subpopulation category of the PIT includes persons under the age of 18 with a household size of one.
Unemployed: All civilians 16 years old and over are classified as unemployed if they (1) were neither "at work" nor "with a job but not at work" during the reference week, and (2) were actively looking for work during the last 4 weeks, and (3) were available to accept a job. Also included as unemployed are civilians who did not work at all during the reference week, were waiting to be called back to a job from which they had been laid off, and were available for work except for temporary illness.
Unsheltered: a phrase used to describe any location that a person may be residing that is not intended for human habitation; includes automobiles, wooded areas, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, barns, under bridges, etc.
Veteran: This subpopulation category of the PIT includes persons who have served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States. This does not include inactive military reserves or the National Guard unless the person was called up to active duty.
Victims of Domestic Violence: This subpopulation category of the PIT includes persons who have been victims of domestic violence
at any point in the past.
Worker: This term appears in connection with several subjects: journey-to-work items, class of worker, work status in the past 12 months, weeks worked in the past 12 months, and number of workers in family in the past 12 months. Its meaning varies and, therefore, should be determined in each case by referring to the definition of the subject in which it appears.
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Appendix C:
Housing Inventory by
Continuum of Care (CoC) Region
A Single Night Counts: Homelessness in Louisiana
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CoC REGIONS 1 & 10
Housing Inventory for Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, Page 1 of 4
Housing/Program Type Geo
Codes
Households with Children
Households without Children # of Beds
Households with Only Children # of Beds
Total Beds
# Beds Occupied
Utilization Rate
Overflow Beds
# of Units
# of Beds
Emergency Shelter Beds and Units: Total 50 150 542 0 692 576 83.2% 0
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans - Jefferson CARE Center 229051 14 34 2 0 36 24 66.7% 0
Covenant House - Crisis Unit/Pre-Rights of Passage 221296 10 22 26 0 48 56 116.7% 0
Metropolitan Battered Women's Program - Emergency Shelter Program 229051 3 14 1 0 15 7 46.7% 0
Ministry of Grace United Methodist Church - Hagar's House Emergency
Shelter 221296 3 12 4 0 16 8 50.0% 0
New Orleans Mission - Freeze Plan 221296 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0% 0
New Orleans Mission - Men's Emergency Shelter Program 221296 0 0 199 0 199 168 84.4% 0
New Orleans Mission - Women's Emergency Shelter Program 221296 0 0 22 0 22 21 95.5% 0
UNITY of GNO - Welcome Home TH 221296 1 3 5 0 8 13 162.5% N/A
Volunteers of America - Napoleon Avenue Veterans Transitional Housing
221296 0 0 46 0 46 22 47.8% N/A
Total of All Beds & Units 783 1,553 2,530 0 4,093 3,669 89.6% 0
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CoC REGION 2 Housing Inventory for Ascension, E. Baton Rouge, E. Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, W. Baton Rouge, and W. Feliciana Parishes, Page 1 of 2
Housing/Program Type Geo
Codes
Households with
Children
Households without Children # of Beds
Households with Only Children # of Beds
Total Beds
# Beds Occupied
Utilization Rate
Overflow Beds
# of Units
# of Beds
ES Beds and Units: Total 29 103 114 0 217 160 73.7% 100
Capital Area Family Violence Intervention Center - Battered Women's Program
220126 20 60 0 0 60 24 40.0% 0
Living Waters Fellowship - Emergency Shelter
220126 0 0 18 0 18 18 100.0%
Salvation Army - Bed and Bread 220126 0 0 16 0 16 15 93.8% 0
St. Agnes Catholic Church - Queen of Peace Shelter