Number of homeless dropping, HUD reports

WASHINGTON, July 29 (UPI) -- The number of homeless people in the United States was 32,000 fewer in 2007, representing a 15-percent average yearly drop since 2005, officials said.

"We can all be encouraged that we're making progress in reducing chronic street homelessness in America and with more resources and better reporting, we can continue this trend," U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Steve Preston said Tuesday in a news release. "But we must also recognize that we have a long way to go to find a more lasting solution for those struggling with homelessness every day."

In January, more than 3,800 cities and counties counted the number of homeless people on the street and in emergency shelters on a single night, Preston said. Local communities across the country reported 123,833 chronically homeless people in 2007, compared to 155,623 in 2006 and 175,914 in 2005.

For the first time in its annual Homeless Assessment Report, HUD estimated that nearly 1.6 million people experienced homelessness and found shelter between Oct. 1, 2006, and Sept. 30, 2007. The estimate is based on year-long data collected from more than 284,000 people in 98 communities nationwide, Preston said.