2020 Point-in-Time Count Results

The annual Point-In-Time Count found that about 1 in every 1,000 Minnesotans experienced homelessness on a single night in January, 2020.  The statewide count of 7,940 people experiencing homelessness is nearly unchanged from the 2019 count. However, the proportion of people staying on the street, rather than in shelters, increased from 2019 to 2020. In 2020, about 25 percent of those counted were unsheltered, compared to 21 percent in 2019. 

As in past years, Minnesotans of color were found to experience homelessness at disproportionate rates. Over 60 percent of those experiencing homelessness on this night were identified as a race other than white, while these groups make up only 16 percent of the total population of Minnesota.  

Children accounted for just under a third of those without housing, and youth between the ages of 18 and 24 made up another 12 percent. Statewide, more than two thousand children and just under one thousand youth were homeless on this night.  

While single adults represent the majority of those counted, just under half of Minnesotans experiencing homelessness were families with children. Unaccompanied children made up one percent of those counted. Statewide, 315 veterans were also without housing. 

The Point-In-Time Count also collects information on individuals with specific health conditions. Of those experiencing homelessness on the night of the count, about one in four suffer from mental illness, and one in ten were reported to have a substance use disorder. The count asks respondents if they are currently fleeing domestic violence: more than one in ten responded "yes" to this question. 

To view all results for Minnesota’s 2020 Point-in-Time Count click here.

Note: Source for comparison to overall MN population (Census July 2019 Population Estimates): https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/MN/PST045219