About the Indicator:

Participants in the Statewide Homeless Study were asked, "In the past 2 years, have you been told by a doctor or nurse that you have an alcohol abuse disorder?” and they were also asked "In the past 2 years, have you been told by a doctor or nurse that you have a drug abuse disorder?” Homeless adults with chemical dependency includes those who answered yes to either or both questions.

For more data from the Statewide Homeless Study visit the Wilder Research website.

Data Source: Statewide Homeless Study

Description: The Statewide Homeless Study includes counts and estimates of the number of people who are homeless, and face-to-face interviews with homeless people to better understand the causes and circumstances of homelessness. Data on adults and youth are available, by region and by shelter type, on history of homelessness, housing history, employment, veteran status, history of abuse, physical, mental, and chemical health, and more topics.

Sponsored by: Wilder Research

Geographic Level: State and regions

Frequency: Data collected and reported every three years

Characteristics: Counts underrepresent the actual homeless population, since many homeless people outside the shelter system are not found.