Data plays a pivotal role in efforts to identify and develop solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Minnesota. A number of statewide data systems and collection efforts capture information on people experiencing homelessness and this page includes resources on the public data available in Minnesota. It also includes graphics on how different populations are disproportionally impacted by homelessness and key trends in the changing state of homelessness in Minnesota.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among People Experiencing Homelessness in Minnesota
This graph depicts the disproportional representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in poverty and homeless populations in Minnesota. Each value represents how likely a specific population is to be in poverty or homeless compared to their white, non-Hispanic counterparts. For example, Native Americans and American Indians are 30 times more likely experiencing homelessness than their white, non-Hispanic counterparts. Populations with a “1” are proportionally represented in poverty or homelessness compared to the general population.
People Experiencing Homelessness in Minnesota, Point-in-Time Count
This graph depicts the number of people experiencing homelessness in the Point-in-Time count between 2017 and 2022. The Point-in-Time Count is an annual count of sheltered and unsheltered people on a single night in January conducted nationwide. The Point-in-Time count does not capture the number of people who experience homelessness throughout an entire year.
Relative Change in Populations of People Experiencing Homelessness in Minnesota, Point-in-Time Count
This graph depicts the relative change in the number of people experiencing homelessness in the Point-in-Time count each year compared to 2017.
HUD’s annual Point-in-Time study:
The annual Point-in-Time count is an annual count of sheltered and unsheltered people on a single night in January nationwide, facilitated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In Minnesota, a large-scale community-wide effort involving Continuum of Care (CoC) coordinators, the Institute for Community Alliance (ICA), providers, outreach workers, schools, and volunteers coordinates the PIT count across the state. HUD released initial data on the 2021 Point-in-Time count earlier this year.
Due to COVID health and safety concerns, many CoCs across the country and nearly all in Minnesota opted out of the unsheltered count in 2021. As a result, 2021 data provides an incomplete picture of unsheltered homelessness in Minnesota and complicates any comparisons with prior year’s counts. Preliminary data indicates that sheltered homelessness in Minnesota increased between the 2020 and 2021 count. This increase also corresponds to efforts across the state to establish temporary isolation and quarantine settings to protect people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. Although the 2021 data does not include a statewide unsheltered count, the increase in sheltered homelessness could reflect that more people experiencing homelessness were able to access shelter because of these additional temporary settings.
More information on the Point-in-Time: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/hdx/pit-hic/
2023 PIT Council Statewide Summary
2022 PIT Council Statewide Summary
Wilder Triannual Study on Homelessness in Minnesota
Since 1991, Wilder Research conducts a triannual point-in-time study of people experiencing homelessness across the state. Wilder utilizes face-to-face interviews and a count of individuals living in shelter or experiencing unsheltered homelessness on a single night. The count and face-to-face interviews provide information on the characteristics of people experiencing homelessness, conditions contributing to their homelessness, and the barriers to obtaining safe, stable, and affordable housing. Since 2006, Wilder also conducts a Reservation Homeless Study in partnership with six of Minnesota’s tribal nations. The most recent Minnesota Homeless Study and Reservation Homeless Study occurred in October 2018. Wilder postponed it’s planned 2021 study to October of 2022.
More information on the Wilder study: http://mnhomeless.org/
Minnesota Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Dashboards:
Statewide, 220 homeless service agencies utilize Minnesota’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to collect client-level data on people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. State, local, and tribal partners use this data system to connect people experiencing homelessness with housing resources, identify characteristics for people experiencing homelessness, and determine housing outcomes for people accessing homeless services. The Institute for Community Alliances manages Minnesota’s HMIS and publishes data on the people utilizing Minnesota’s HMIS to support communities monitoring progress toward making homelessness rare and non-recurring.
More information on Minnesota’s HMIS Dashboards: https://www.hmismn.org/minnesota-dashboards
MDE Data on Students Experiencing Homelessness
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) collects information about students who are homelessness, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This definition, individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, is more expansive than Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition and includes students who are doubled up. MDE publishes data on the number of students who are experiencing homelessness on October 1st of every school year in their student enrollment reports.
More information on MDE’s enrollment data including the number of students experiencing homelessness: https://public.education.mn.gov/MDEAnalytics/DataTopic.jsp?TOPICID=2
Free Naloxone available to organizations serving people experiencing homelessness
Naloxone is a potentially lifesaving drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. It can be administered as an injection or nasal spray. Nasal naloxone is also referred to by its brand name, Narcan®. The 2023 Minnesota Legislative Session mandated and made funding available for the provision of free naloxone for groups in the state, including but not limited to, schools and law enforcement. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) partnered to pilot an online ordering portal for naloxone in September 2023. Shelter providers and other organizations that serve the unhoused can now use the portal to order nasal Narcan® at no-cost to their organization.
To order Naloxone at No-Cost complete the following steps.
- Go to the following page to sign up for a standing Naloxone order: Naloxone Standing Order and Protocol Registration Form.
- Under “Entity Type” select “Organization Serving Unhoused Populations.”
- Provide a shipping address for delivery during regular business hours. The product is shipped via 2-day FedEx. PO Boxes are not a valid shipping address.
- Enter contact information in the event of shipping complications.
- Under Number 13, indicate “Yes” to be reviewed and approved for access to the Naloxone Ordering Portal.
- Complete the rest of the fields and click “Submit.”
More details on this process and training resources and information can be found at https://www.health.mn.gov/communities/opioids/mnresponse/nalstandorder.html
All orders are subject to review by MDH staff and may require additional information before approval. Upon approval, Narcan Direct will begin the order fulfillment process. After orders are approved, you will receive a confirmation email summarizing your order. This is not a bill. The State of Minnesota is providing this naloxone at no cost to your organization. Shipping and tracking information will be available via email from Narcan Direct. If you have questions about your shipment, contact Narcan Direct at 844-462-7226 or narcandirect@ebsi.com.
Local Homeless Prevention Aid
Local homeless prevention aid is funding distributed to counties to help local governments ensure no child is homeless within a local jurisdiction by keeping families from losing housing and helping those experiencing homelessness find housing. Learn more about this funding, resources for counties and their partners related to the funding, and recommendations and considerations for maximizing the impact of these dollars on the program page.
The Minnesota Statewide Training Planning Workgroup (comprised of state agency staff, Continuum of Care (CoC) leads, and nonprofit partners from across the state) was formed in 2019 to help identify resources and strategies to better meet the training needs of shelter and housing providers across the state. This page will be built out to include a variety of training topics.
NAEH Center for Learning | Homeless and Housing Resource Center | SHELTER WORKER | STREETWORKS | HOUSING FIRST
Experiencing homelessness or housing instability and you need help?
To find essential services and resources in your community, dial 211, or visit 211.org. Referral specialists can help link or refer you directly to an agency or organization that can help.
Find Additional Resources https://www.mnhousing.gov/housing-help.html