Reports show homelessness in the Big Bend surged in 2023

Elena Barrera, Tallahassee Democrat
·2 min read

Homelessness in the Big Bend significantly increased in 2023, mirroring statewide and national trends that point to the greater issue at the forefront of the country's mind.

Last year 801 people were found to be homeless, according to the Big Bend Continuum of Care's Point In Time count. This is roughly a 22% increase from 2022, which recorded 659 people experiencing homelessness.

The count includes homeless people and families "who live in a place not meant for human habitation including the streets or in their car, emergency shelter, transitional housing, and hotels paid for by a government or charitable organization," according to the Big Bend Continuum of Care.

The organization counted people who fit this criteria on Jan. 23, 2023, in Leon, Gadsden, Franklin, Wakulla and Taylor counties. Its data comes at the same time as last year's U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development annual report that shows a national surge in homelessness — Florida was a large contributor.

Florida had the second highest rate of unsheltered homeless people in 2023, accounting for 6% of the national total, according to HUD's report.

The state saw a 17% rise in its homelessness rate between 2022 and 2023, ranking Florida among the top five states with the highest rises. Despite this, however, the rate decreased by 30% since 2007, according to the report.

Homelessness breakdown in the Big Bend

The Big Bend Continuum of Care surveys the Big Bend region every year to provide its data to the federal government. Here's what the organization found last year:

  • Adults over the age of 24: 641

  • Children under the age of 18: 113

  • Young adults between the ages of 18 and 24: 47

  • Veterans: 92

  • Unsheltered persons: 269

  • Chronically homeless: 178

  • Adults with serious mental illness: 129

  • Adults with substance use disorder: 35

  • Unaccompanied youth up to the age of 24: 40

Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Big Bend homeless population spikes amid statewide surge