More than 700,000 homeless in U.S.

There were an estimated 754,000 homeless people in the United States, in shelters or living on the streets on a single night in January 2005.

U.S. officials said in a report to Congress released on Wednesday from February to April 2005, an estimated 704,000 people in the United States used shelters or transitional housing.


According to the study, during that period, 47% of people living in shelters were single adult men. Nearly one quarter were children 17 or younger. Less than 2% of the homeless population was 62 or older, compared with 15% of the total U.S. population.

Among other findings, the report said about 59% of the people in shelters were members of minority groups. It added that 45% of the homeless were African Americans.

Based on a sampling of communities across the United States, the study concluded that 24% of all adults in shelters were disabled.

Meantime, Director of the Washington-based National Coalition for the Homeless Michael Stoops said, "Many cities in this country are trying to give the impression that things are better than they really are, that homelessness is decreasing. But in reality, homelessness continues to increase regardless of who is in the White House or who controls Congress."