Homelessness in Minnesota declined slightly in the past five years, according to a new statewide study released Wednesday. But it remains at the second-highest level in 30 years of tracking data.
The study by Wilder Research is the first released by the nonprofit in five years, due to pandemic-related delays. It found that 10,522 Minnesotans last October were staying in shelters, transitional housing programs or living outdoors, including nearly 3,000 children.
That’s a 7% decline from the record high in 2018. But researchers say the gap in data from 2018 to 2023 means there could have been fluctuations in homelessness, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“No one wants to see numbers that high,” said Rebecca Sales, co-director of the study. “But there is a signal of positive things are happening ... although it is a minor decrease, it is a decrease nonetheless. To me that says that some of those investments and changes that have been made in the last five years had an impact.”
Outdoor encampments increased significantly during the pandemic, especially in Minneapolis and St. Paul when people looked for safe places to stay as the coronavirus surged. But the pandemic also led to new assistance — from extra food stamp benefits to temporary eviction moratoriums.
Last year, the Legislature nearly tripled funding for youth homelessness programs and doubled funding for transitional housing while dedicating $100 million to build and expand shelters.
“If there are those significant investments ... we can have an impact,” Sales said. “We hope this is the beginning of some momentum.”
It was a historic session, with the most funding the state has ever dedicated to homelessness programs, said Matt Traynor, acting executive director of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. But he’s not hearing of any drop in the number of people in need, he said.