Homeless Black Males on the Rise in USA
- Nd® COMMUNITY
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Published August 20, 2026 at 8:15 AM EDT
Black homelessness is more than twice the national rate.
WASHINGTON, DC —Black men face an exceptionally high risk of homelessness in the United States, according to new analysis from the Center for Economic and Policy Research. CEPR estimates the Black male homelessness rate may be as high as 89 per 10,000 people, compared with an overall national rate of 23 per 10,000. Black Americans represented about 12% of the U.S. population but 30% of the homeless population in 2024.
CEPR notes that American Indian/Alaska Native people had an overall homelessness rate of 95 per 10,000, while Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander people were at 186 per 10,000—both higher than the estimated Black male rate.
Atlanta has one of the highest concentrations of Black homelessness relative to its homeless population, with recent Point-In-Time counts showing that approximately 80% of the city's unhoused population is Black. In terms of total numbers and severe racial disparity in major metropolitan areas, New York City and Los Angeles record the largest absolute volumes of Black individuals experiencing homelessness
Overview of Disparities in Major Cities
Atlanta: ~80% of the homeless population is Black (in a city that is roughly 47% Black), driven heavily by housing affordability and family homelessness.
New York City: Black individuals comprise roughly 56% of heads of households in municipal shelters, far exceeding the city's overall Black demographic percentage.
Los Angeles County: Black individuals make up roughly 34% of the unhoused population despite representing only about 9% of the county's total residents.
Chicago: Approximately 45% of the estimated population experiencing homelessness is Black in a city that is 28% Black.
Researcher Algernon Austin argues federal housing policy contributes to the disparity by directing substantial benefits toward wealthier households while assistance for low-income renters remains limited. Only about one-quarter of eligible renters receive housing assistance, while fewer than 10% of unhoused people receive housing through homelessness programs. CEPR points to successful Housing First programs for veterans as evidence that substantially reducing homelessness is achievable with sustained federal investment.
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