What does this measure?
The number of homeless people at a given point in time (usually one night in January), per 10,000 residents.
Why is this important?
The extent of homelessness can be an indicator of a community's ability to provide stable jobs that pay a living wage as well as measures of support for the unemployed and access to affordable housing and health care. Homelessness is related to larger issues such as poverty, employment, mental health, substance abuse, and family violence. The way a community cares for its more vulnerable citizens is a marker of collaboration and its social support systems.
How is Westchester County performing?
In 2020, Westchester counted 362 homeless African American people, for a rate of 21 per 100,000 residents, nearly six times higher than the rate for whites at 3.6 and more than triple the rate for Hispanics at 5.9.
Westchester's rates for all groups were well below state and national rates; however, its rate for African Americans was higher than Nassau and Suffolk (16.1) as well as Rockland (9.3). Its rate for Hispanics was lower than Rockland (9.3) but higher than Nassau and Suffolk (2.7).
Why do these disparities exist?
The inequity of homelessness is a result of long-standing historical and systemic racism that continues to perpetuate disparities in critical areas that impact rates of homelessness such as employment, poverty, housing discrimination and segregation, incarceration, and access to quality mental and physical health care.
Notes about the data
Figures represent point-in-time counts. It is very difficult to obtain an exact count of homeless persons, due to transience and to limited resources for record-keeping. Comparable data presented for available counties are currently limited to point-in-time counts done on one night in January. Data are not available for Putnam County, and Nassau and Suffolk data are combined in the available data.
HUD asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.
| Asian | Black or African American | Hispanic | White | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westchester County | 0.4 | 21.1 | 5.9 | 3.6 |
| Nassau, Suffolk Counties | 0.4 | 16.1 | 2.7 | 2.4 |
| Rockland County | 0.0 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 3.1 |
| New York State | 3.1 | 71.7 | 31.7 | 9.8 |
Notes: Rate is per 10,000 residents. Figures represent point-in-time counts.
| Asian | Black or African American | Hispanic | White | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westchester County | 3 | 362 | 146 | 255 |
| Nassau, Suffolk Counties | 10 | 531 | 148 | 549 |
| Rockland County | 0 | 42 | 56 | 80 |
| New York State | 579 | 25,840 | 11,840 | 13,402 |
Notes: Figures represent point-in-time counts. HUD asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.
