New report finds Chicago’s homeless population far higher than official count

Higher homeless population in Chicago?

Does Chicago have more homeless people than what's on record? There's new data from the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness that shows it's more than three times higher than the federal government's record. Fox Chicago's Bret Buganski shows you why they feel their number is more accurate.

CHICAGO - Chicago has released new numbers on homelessness, and they show far more people without housing than previously thought.

This comes as dangerously cold weather continues across the city.

By the numbers:

The official count from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is considered a snapshot — a one-day count — and only includes people sleeping outside or in shelters.

On Wednesday, the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness released new data and held a panel discussion to break down its findings.

HUD’s count for 2024 was 18,836 people. Cook County Health’s count came in much higher, at 58,625 — more than three times HUD’s total. So why the difference?

Cook County Health says its data is collected year-round, not just on a single day. It also includes people who are "doubling up," meaning they are temporarily staying with family members or living in overcrowded and potentially unsafe conditions.

CCH believes its estimate of more than 58,000 people is a more accurate reflection of Chicago’s current homeless population.

Why you should care:

M. Nelsen, the author of the research, says this is a number everyone in the Chicago area should care about.

"We have not been funding to scale at what we need to address the scale of the issue to begin with," Nelsen said. "Funding cuts are going to make that worse, and we're not even talking about the impact on people who are currently sleeping outside or doubled up. We're also concerned about people who have been housed and their loss of housing that might occur through these cuts as well."

Big picture view:

This comes as the Trump administration is threatening to cut tens of millions of dollars in HUD funding to Chicago — money that helps families access affordable housing and social services.

The issue is currently playing out in the courts. Some political experts are calling it political retaliation, as the president has said he wants to cut funding to sanctuary cities. That funding is currently set to stop on Feb. 1.

Doug Fraser with the Chicago Help Initiative talked about those potential cuts hitting Chicago. 

"Somewhere between $15-20 million is the estimate I heard that will affect Chicago," said Fraser. "So if you want an idea on the impact of these types of cuts, take a ride on the blue line look at the people sleeping on the train and multiple by four take a look at a park with an encampment and multiple it by four."

What's next:

HUD is scheduled to conduct its annual homelessness count on Thursday, just as the city braces for some of the most dangerous weather conditions it has seen in quite some time.