Louisiana’s homeless estimates are built off reporting by a Point In Time count in each community on one night in January when volunteers in each community identify individuals and fill out a survey for each. These numbers are often disputed in because homeless individuals do not always come into organizations for food and shelter or they refuse to fill out a survey in order to be counted. The Point In Time count is done differently in different parishes.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is responsible for collecting the Point In Time counts from across the country.
Although Louisiana was one of 31 states that reported a decline in homelessness for 2018, there was an increase of 6% among homeless veterans.
HUD says 3,059 individuals in Louisiana were homeless on a single night in 2018 during the Point In Time count. Two-thirds of these homeless were in shelters or transitional housing.
There are four federally defined categories that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development use when determining if an individual qualifies as homeless.
1. Literally homeless
2. Imminent risk of homelessness
3. Homeless under other Federal statutes
4. Fleeing/attempting to flee domestic violence
