Government Says Number Of Homeless In Oklahoma Rose This Year

State homeless housing and service providers in Oklahoma reported that the number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless people increased by 8 percent between 2011 and 2012.

According to HUD, the total number of homeless persons was up 407 from 2011 to 2012.  In 2011, Oklahoma had 4,625 homeless residents compared to 5,032 this year. 

The numbers also show the chronically homeless in the state fell from 568 in 2011 to 481 in 2012.  The number of homeless veterans on the other hand rose from 356 in 2011 to 404 in 2012.   

Acting HUD Regional Administrator Mark Brezina said, "Behind every number is a family or an individual living in our shelter system or even on our streets. While HUD and our local partners are working to reduce and eliminate homelessness, there are too many people struggling to find an affordable home to call their own."

HUD's annual ‘point-in-time' estimate seeks to measure the scope of homelessness over the course of one night every January.

During that one night in late January of 2012, local planners or "Continuums of Care" across the nation conducted a one-night count of their sheltered and unsheltered homeless populations. These one-night ‘snapshot' counts are then reported to HUD as part of state and local grant applications.