February 2004

Homeless in Minnesota 2003: Key Facts From the Survey of Minnesotans without Permanent Housing

Every three years since 1991, Wilder Research Center has conducted a statewide survey of people who are homeless or living in temporary housing programs. In October 2003, more than 700 volunteer interviewers conducted face-to-face interviews with about 3,100 people experiencing homelessness. This took place in nearly 250 places throughout Minnesota, including about 220 emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, and battered women's shelters. In addition, homeless people not currently in shelters were interviewed in 40 cities and towns. This summary represents an overview of initial findings from the full study, and closely follows the topics of the previous summary report, Understanding Homelessness 2000.