How The Homelessness Problem In Maryland Compares To Other States

October 2, 2023

On a single night in 2022, 582,462 people experienced homelessness in the United States, and numbers are on the rise. Since 2017, there has been a 6% increase in homelessness.

About six in 10 of the people experiencing homelessness in 2022 had access to emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, or safe havens, while the remainder were unsheltered. Rates of unsheltered homelessness — which includes those sleeping on the streets, in abandoned buildings, and in wooded areas — are also on the rise.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there were an estimated 5,349 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in Maryland in 2022. Adjusting for population, this comes out to about 8.7 people for every 10,000 state residents, the 16th fewest among the 50 states.

Of those experiencing homelessness in Maryland, a reported 83.3% were unsheltered, the fourth highest share among states.

All data in this story is from the 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.