Chicago's homelessness looks different than federal data suggests

A Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness report says federal definitions and one-night counts undercount people who are doubled up and estimates 58,625 people experienced homelessness in Chicago in 2024.

A new report from the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness (CCH) argues that common federal and local measures undercount people who lack regular, adequate housing. Federal definitions used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development focus on people in shelters, on the street, or in places not meant for habitation. Local Point-in-Time counts measure visible homelessness on a single night. CCH includes people who are "doubled up"—staying with friends or family—in its broader estimate. Key details: - CCH estimates 58,625 people experienced homelessness in Chicago in 2024, with nearly 20,000 in shelters or on the streets and more than 39,000 doubled up. - HUD's formal definition and the Point-in-Time Count exclude many people who are temporarily staying with others; Axios reported HUD did not respond to questions about that exclusion. - The report shows Black residents make up the largest share of people experiencing homelessness in these figures, followed by Latino residents. - Illinois public health data cited in the report notes a higher share of deaths among people experiencing homelessness occurring in outdoor or informal settings and records cold exposure as a contributing cause for 112 deaths from 2017–2023. - Congress recently passed a spending bill that provides $7.2 billion more to HUD than in 2025, and housing advocates said increased appropriations do not necessarily mean funds or program changes will be delivered immediately. Summary: The CCH report says federal counting methods and one-night surveys omit many people who are doubled up, producing a larger estimate of people experiencing homelessness in Chicago. The report links that broader count to differences in outcomes identified in public health data. Federal appropriations to HUD were increased in the latest spending bill, but whether that will change program delivery or eligibility is undetermined at this time.