South Dakota: 2018 Statewide Homeless Count Results

PIERRE, SD – The 2018 Statewide Point-in-Time Homeless Count revealed that 1,159 individuals were experiencing homelessness in South Dakota on Jan. 23, 2018. The count conducted within a 24-hour time period, includes sheltered individuals who are staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing or motels paid for by an agency and unsheltered individuals who are staying in vehicles, on the streets or in places not meant for human habitation.

Of the 1,159 homeless individuals counted:

• 75 percent were adults over the age of 24, 18 percent were children under 18, and 7 percent were young adults 18 to 24 years of age
• 75 percent of those surveyed were sheltered on the night of the count and 25 percent of those surveyed were unsheltered on the night of the count
• 110 persons were veterans compared to 130 in 2017, a decrease of 15 percent; of the veterans counted, 81 percent were sheltered
• 218 persons were children (under age 18) compared to 202 in 2017, an increase of 8 percent
• 424 females and 735 males
• 874 persons were sheltered and 285 were unsheltered in 2018

Compared to the 2017 count of 955, the 2018 count of 1,159 represents a 21 percent increase. The one-day snapshots tend to be undercounted and are heavily influenced by factors such as the weather. The 2018 count day weather conditions were greatly improved as compared to the severe winter storm of 2017 count day. Additional service providers, agencies, and volunteers participated in 2018.

The Point in Time Homeless Count was conducted by the South Dakota Housing for the Homeless Consortium (SDHHC) in collaboration with community agencies, government, individual volunteers, and homeless service providers. All counties participated in South Dakota. Detailed information on the 2018 and prior years’ homeless counts can be found at www.housingforthehomeless.org.

SDHHC is a statewide organization created to address homelessness in South Dakota. Individuals or organizations interested in learning more about SDHHC are encouraged to visit the website www.housingforthehomeless.org and attend the 13th Annual Homeless Summit being held June 12 – 13, 2018, in Oacoma.

About South Dakota Housing Development Authority
The South Dakota Housing Development Authority (SDHDA) was created by the South Dakota legislature in1973 with a stated mission to provide decent, safe and affordable housing to low- and moderate-income South Dakotans.  SDHDA, which oversees the Governor’s House Program, is a self-supporting, nonprofit entity. SDHDA utilizes housing bonds, tax credits, and other federal and state resources to fund housing programs that provide mortgage and downpayment assistance, housing construction and rehabilitation, homelessness prevention, and rental assistance.

Media Contact
Mark Lauseng
Executive Director
South Dakota Housing Development Authority
mark@sdhda.org
605.773.3181