Michigan’s rate of homelessness fell in 2018, despite the number actually rising nationwide.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development says Wednesday that according to their Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, those experiencing homelessness in Michigan dropped by 7.7 percent from 2017 to 2018; since 2010, the rate in Michigan has dropped by over 36 percent. That number is even more positive when you compare it to our neighbors; Indiana’s rate dropped by 3.3 percent, while Ohio actual had their number of homeless increase slightly by 1.5 percent.

Michigan actually had the second largest decrease in homelessness in the nation in terms of percentage, only behind Hawaii. The national rate of homelessness rose very slightly, by 0.3 percent. According to the data, Michigan had 8,300 people dealing with homelessness in 2018; 5,200 of those were individuals, while around 3,100 were families with children.

These numbers are calculated by HUD based on an annual survey conducted on one night in January by tens of thousands of volunteers across the country.

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