By: Leslie Black-Plumeau

August 3, 2010

The number of homeless families in the U.S. rose for the second year in a row, according to The 2009 Annual Assessment Report to Congress recently completed by HUD.

This rise shows the impact of the economic downturn “on the housing stability of low-income and vulnerable Americans,” the report explains.

Episodes of homelessness also appeared to increase in severity as families’ stays in shelters became longer, with the median number of nights rising from 30 in 2008 to 36 in 2009. Of all homeless people who stayed in shelters during the year, 35% were adults and children in families.

Rates of homelessness were highest in the western states of Nevada, Oregon, Hawaii, California, and Washington.

In Vermont, an estimated two out of every 1,000 residents were homeless in 2009 — about the same rate as in the U.S. as a whole. A report on Vermont’s most recent one-day census of everyone who is homeless in the state in January 2010 is available online with detailed demographic traits of people who are homeless in Vermont.