BOSTON (WHDH) - The City of Boston has completed its annual homelessness census, and the city saw a dip in the number of homeless individuals in the city.
“This year’s census data helps us better shape Boston’s work to support our unhoused residents, coordinate effectively with our state and federal partners, and move closer to ensuring everyone has a safe, healthy home,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “As we continue our work to tackle housing across all of our neighborhoods, these results will guide our efforts to serve all of our residents and end homelessness in our city.”
A group of volunteers including Boston and federal officials, homeless service providers and public health and safety first responders conducted the survey on the night of Feb. 23. The volunteers collected data on the number of individuals living unsheltered on the street and those staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing and domestic violence shelter programs.
Overall, the number of people experiencing homelessness dropped by 2.4%, from 1,659 people in 2021 to 1,545 people in 2022. This builds on a nearly 25% decrease between 2020 and 2021 which was in part due to a coordinated effort by city agencies and homeless service providers to create alternative housing, shelter and healthcare options early on in the pandemic.
Of that group, the number of people staying on the street that night dropped by 30% from 180 people in 2021 to 51 people in 2022. No unsheltered families were staying on the street that night, as has been true for the past decade. The number of veterans experiencing homelessness dropped from 213 in 2021 to 180 in 2022.
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