Rural Homelessness Could Be Vastly Underestimated, Study Finds

A study from the Rural Opioid Initiative at Georgia State University found that rural homelessness in the United States could be dramatically underestimated. According to a report by Liz Carey in The Daily Yonder, a survey conducted by the researchers reveals a gap between their findings and federal Point in Time count data.

This is partly because being houseless in rural areas looks different than in urban areas, says researcher April Ballard. “Rural people without housing may live in different situations — with relatives, or in tents, or in cars, Ballard said — instead of living in shelters or on the street. That makes finding and identifying them difficult at best.” A survey in Kentucky estimated the number of unhoused people at five times the number collected in the national annual survey. “In three counties, the research found, the “point in time” counts estimated there were no people who were homeless, while Ballard and her group found more than 100 people in those same counties who said they had used drugs and experienced homelessness in the previous  six months.”

The data disparity matters, since the count becomes tied to resource allocation. “From a policy standpoint, it’s incredibly important for us to be capturing accurate information and accurate estimates, so that we’re actually dedicating the right amount of resources to communities,” Ballard points out.