65,611 people experienced homelessness in Chicago in 2020: Report

Chicago, Sep 21 (IANS) An estimated 65,611 people experienced homelessness in Chicago, the third largest city in the US, in 2020, an increase of 12.6 per cent from 2019, according to a report.

Of the total, more than 75 per cent temporarily stayed with others at one point, Xinhua news agency quoted the Chicago Tribune report as saying on Tuesday citing figures released by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

In the coalition's definition, homelessness covers children and families living doubled up or temporarily staying with others, in addition to those staying in a shelter or a place not meant for human habitation, the report said.

The report revealed that 49,585 people experienced homelessness by doubling up, making it the most common type of homelessness in Chicago.

While the number of people who experienced homelessness by living in shelters or on the streets decreased, the number of people doubling up increased by more than 20 per cent.

Chicago Public Schools reported serving 16,663 homeless students during the 2019-2020 school year.

The report further revealed that in 2020, homelessness disproportionately affected African-Americans, who made up 55.8 per cent of the total population experiencing homelessness, and 75.9 per cent of the population fitting definition of homelessness by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which excludes those living doubled up from its estimate.

The number of Hispanic or Latino people experiencing homelessness also increased significantly from 12,813 in 2019 to 18,272 in 2020, the report added.