Human services agencies in the Greater Lansing area saw 3220 different homeless persons from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006. That figure was generated from the Michigan Statewide - Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), based on client data that were entered by housing and supportive services providers participating in the information system. The Lansing regional HMIS implementation began in April 2004, through a partnership between the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, City of Lansing - Human Relations and Community Services Department and the Greater Lansing Homeless Resolution Network.

The overall profile of homeless clients is striking considering the image that many may hold about homeless persons. Probably most compelling is that women and children represent 1,809 or 56.2 % of the homeless persons who received agency assistance in the Greater Lansing area during 2006. Similarly, adults and children in family units constitute 1,614 or 50.1% of the homeless population helped by the Greater Lansing human services sector in 2006. Children and youth, alone, make up 876 or 27.2% of the persons who received assistance during the same time period. While it is true that these figures capture the portion of the homeless population that received agency assistance in 2006, there is evidence that the population receiving agency assistance mirrors the overall homeless population in the Greater Lansing area.

The profile of homeless family households reveals that female single parent families were over half of all household types served by Lansing area agencies in 2006. Perhaps more surprising is the fact that almost one in five homeless households that received assistance were two parent families with children. Human services providers that assist homeless families have seen the number of intact households seeking assistance increase since the mid -1990’s.

A chronically homeless person is defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as an unaccompanied (alone) individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or has had, minimally, four episodes of homelessness in the past three years. The individual must have been living in a place not meant for human habitation or in an emergency homeless shelter during these episodes of homelessness. In 2006, about 17% of the persons assisted by Lansing area agencies met the criteria for chronic homelessness. Surprisingly, of the 532 chronically homeless persons served, 148 or 28% were women. If one thinks about the typical homeless person as being a vagrant, chronic alcoholic male in his 40’s or 50’s, it is an eye opener to realize that over half of the homeless persons seen by agencies are women and children and over one-quarter are children and youth.

The racial and ethnic composition of homeless persons who received agency services in 2006 is also compelling. African-Americans represent 42% of the adults in families served by agencies assisting homeless persons in the greater Lansing area, and 38.5% of the unaccompanied (alone) adults served. African-Americans make up 21.9% of the Lansing population and 10.9% of the Ingham County population according to 2000 U.S. Census data. There are numerous social justice issues underlying the over-representation of African Americans in homelessness that are also present in disparate health status, health care access, incarceration rates, infant mortality rates, income and wealth levels and in other indicators of social well being.

The Greater Lansing area, in 2006, provided 468 emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing beds to assist homeless individuals and families with shelter and housing needs. In addition, supportive service providers assisted with other needs such as employment, counseling, case-management, medical care and mental health needs. Many of these providers, government officials, business sector representatives and other stakeholders participated in a planning effort during the summer of 2006 to dramatically impact homelessness in the Greater Lansing area over the next ten years. Several approaches, including a "Housing First" model (providing immediate permanent housing and supportive services in lieu of temporary shelter) are in the plan of action. The question is whether homelessness can be truly resolved in any region given the national issues of poverty and socio-economic inequities.