Community Education
On a single night in Utah in 2025, 4,584 persons were homeless, an 18% increase from 2024. Crowding in shelters, or sleeping on street corners and in parks and cars, these individuals experienced the loneliness, fear, and pain of homelessness.
Homelessness is incredibly challenging and can lead to serious health complications. Having a home and being healthy are linked; people cannot afford housing when high medical bills and unemployment accompany poor health, and good health is unobtainable without a safe, permanent home.
The National Health Care for the Homeless Council reports that the average life expectancy for a homeless individual is 50 years, which is 18.5 years less than the general U.S. population.
Current U.S. Homeless Statistics:
- Homelessness increased from 653,104 people during the 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count to 771,480 people during the 2024 PIT.
- The estimated number of people who are homeless and experienced domestic violence was estimated to be 37,478 in 2023.
- Unstably housed adults over age 50 use the emergency room at 4 times the rate of the general population.
- Homeless individuals have higher prevalence of chronic diseases, often more than 10% than the general population’s prevalence for any given condition.
What does it mean to be homeless in Utah?
Fourth Street Clinic helps homeless Utahns improve their health and quality of life by providing high-quality health care and support services. Part of fulfilling this mission involves educating our community about who the homeless are and how to help them.
Myths About Homelessness:
1: People who are homeless stay homeless for a long time.
Fact: Fewer than 1% of homeless individuals in 2017 identified as chronically homeless. Most homeless experiences are short-term; 53% of families and 71% of individuals exit emergency shelters within one month of entering them.
2: Most people who are homeless are single adults.
Fact: In 2017, 65% of homeless individuals were single, but 35% were families or children. There were 281 homeless families and 164 unaccompanied youth. Homelessness has a huge impact on children, interfering with healthy development and ability to succeed in school.
3: People experiencing homelessness are to blame for their situation.
Fact: Many people who are homeless are victims of circumstance; like illness and abuse. Among homeless youth, there is a 4 times higher rate of mental illness than the general population. Homeless individuals have a 49% rate of experiencing domestic violence, compared to only 2% of the general population. A large amount of unhoused women in Utah are domestic abuse and violence victims. Bankruptcy, divorce, and many other factors can also contribute to homelessness.
Read about the stories and backgrounds of some of our Utah neighbors experiencing homelessness: Stories from the Street
Learn more about the systems, challenges, and solutions shaping health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness: The Fourth Street Clinic Report
