To assess the status of hunger and homelessness in America’s cities during 2000, The US Conference of Mayors surveyed 25 major cities whose mayors were members of its Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness.

The survey sought information and estimates from each city on the demand for emergency food assistance and emergency shelter and the capacity of local agencies to meet the demand; 20 causes of hunger and homelessness and the demographics of the populations experiencing these problems; 30 exemplary programs or efforts in the cities to respond to hunger and homelessness; the availability of affordable housing for low income people; the outlook for the future and the impact of the economy on hunger and homelessness.

The following lists some findings of this survey, which was conducted in December of 2000. You may download the complete report at http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/hungersurvey/hunger2000.pdf.

• The average demand for emergency shelter increased by 15 percent-the highest one-year increase of the decade.
• Seventy-six percent of the cities-the highest increase since 1994-reported that demand had increased. Requests for shelter by homeless families alone increased by 17 percent, with 72 percent of the cities reporting an increase.
• The average demand for emergency shelter that went unmet in 2000 was 23 percent. Survey results have found this number to be consistently high; for most of the 16 years in which the survey has been conducted, it has been reported at 20 percent or more.
• On average, people remain homeless for five months in the cities surveyed. Fifty percent of the cities said that the length of time people are homeless had increased during the last year.
• Officials estimate that, on average, single men comprise 44 percent of the homeless population, families with children 36 percent, single women 13 percent and unaccompanied minors seven percent.
• Nearly every city in the survey cited the lack of affordable housing as the primary cause of homelessness.