Number of homeless is declining

(The Boston Globe, November 22, 2013)

The number of homeless people in the United States declined for a third straight year, helped by sharp dropoffs in veterans and chronic homelessness, according to a new government survey. Nearly two-thirds of those experiencing homelessness were living in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs, while the remainder lived under bridges, in cars, or in abandoned buildings, the survey found. Five states — California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts — accounted for more than half of the homeless population.