2014 HUD Point-in-Time Count: Homelessness in Indianapolis

Abstract

The 2014 Point-in-Time Homeless Count in Marion County took place on January 29, 2014. On that night, 1,897 individuals experiencing homelessness in shelters and on the street were counted. Though the total represents a 19 percent increase over the 2013 account, there was a drop in persons found on the street in 2014 compared to 2013. One potential explanation for the decrease was the extreme cold weather. By the night of the count, Marion County had already had 27 inches of snow and several days of subzero temperatures during the month of January.

Based on national research, estimates suggest that the number who experience homelessness at some point during the year is three to five times the number counted during a point-in-time count. Using this year's data and count, an estimated 7,543 (actual HMIS and Wheeler numbers) to 9,485 (Point-in-Time results x 5) individuals in Marion County experience homelessness during the course of a year.