Wilder Research on Homelessness Discussed on Almanac

Every three years Wilder Research counts the number of homeless individuals in the state of Minnesota in shelters and on the street. Greg Owen of Wilder Research recently appeared on Almanac to discuss the findings of the study.

Greg Owen of Wilder Research said, “People were surprised by the size of the increase. I think people were surprised by the increase of concentration in distress in this population. One of the things we've observed is the increasing number of people with mental illness. We have had a constant rise since the study began in 1991 of people having persistent or serious mental health problems. But that started at 25% and now with the most recent data it is up to 55%.”

According to the Wilder Research Web site, “[On one night] more than 1,000 volunteers conduct interviews throughout the state in shelters, transitional housing programs, drop-in service locations and non-shelter locations such as encampments and abandoned buildings. All of those included in the study are in circumstances that meet the federal definition of homelessness.”

To learn more about the study, visit Wilder Research.