YES
Each chronically homeless person costs taxpayers $30,000 to $50,000 per year, according to the most recently available data from government agencies and advocacy groups.
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness noted in 2016 that each person experiencing chronic homelessness costs taxpayers as much as $30,000 to $50,000 annually. Nonprofit policy group Results for America attributed those costs primarily to “interactions with the healthcare and criminal-legal systems.”
A 2017 National Alliance to End Homelessness report found that each chronically homeless person cost taxpayers $35,578 per year. It said those costs could be cut in half by placing them in supportive housing.
Catholic Charities USA says people experiencing long-term or repeated homelessness make up about 22% of the homeless population.
The Maine State Housing Authority’s 2025 Point in Time Count recorded 549 chronically homeless Mainers, up from 494 a year earlier.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- United States Interagency Council on Homelessness: Ending Long-Term Homelessness for People with Complex Needs
- Results for America: Proven Strategies to Address Homelessness: Stories from Four Cities
- National Alliance to End Homelessness: Ending Chronic Homelessness Saves Taxpayers Money
- Catholic Charities USA: Healthy Housing Initiative
- Maine State Housing Authority: 2025 Point in Time Count
Type of Story: Fact-Check
Checks a specific statement or set of statements asserted as fact.