Target Reached

Average Time Homeless (Days)

- All residents are safe, supported and able to care for themselves
Strategic Priorities
  • Not Defined
    7.2 End chronic homelessness for veterans, families and youth
    - All residents are safe, supported and able to care for themselves
About this measure

This page measures the average length of time individuals and persons in families enrolled in emergency shelter and overflow projects experience homelessness. Average length of time is shown in two ways:

  1. One-year average: These counts represent the number of singles and families (actual households) exiting shelter within the reporting year and their average time experiencing homelessness during the reporting year only, and
  2. Three-year average: These counts represent the number of singles and families (actual households) exiting shelter within the reporting year and their average time experiencing homelessness within the prior three years.

Data are reported by the Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services on an annual basis.
Why is this important?

Tracking the average time spent homeless allows the County to evaluate and monitor the performance of the Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Continuum of Care (CoC). By looking at patterns and changes to the average time individuals and persons in families spend homeless the COC can revise and enhance strategies to better ensure persons experiencing homelessness in Cuyahoga County get the services they need to achieve self-sufficiency.
How are we making an impact?

The goal of the Continuum of Care Homeless Crisis Response System is to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring. The average time homeless data speak to the CoC’s efforts to quickly exit individuals and families from homelessness back to permanent housing. Through rapid rehousing resources, many individuals and families can find a housing unit and exit shelter within a short amount of time. High barrier households with complex needs are further assessed and served within the CoC’s Permanent Supportive Housing Program. The “average” number reflects all persons in shelter, including the long-term and chronically homeless population. For individuals, the length of time homeless was reduced in 2021 because of the change in shelter utilization, access to permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless persons, and increases in those who self-resolved or found other housing during the pandemic. Families saw an increase in time homeless in 2021 partly due to lengthier shelter stays while attempting to find and obtain housing. With lack of affordable housing providing a significant barrier, average length of time homeless is expected to increase for all populations.

Continued COVID-19 Efforts:  

  • Reduce Shelter Census
    • Diversion at Coordinated Entry – Gift Cards
    • For singles and families currently in shelter: Encouraged to relocate to family/friends without interruption in Housing Plan action; Relocation plan confirmed by shelter staff; Gift cards offered to assist with food costs.
    • Currently providing three COVID-19 isolation & quarantine sites
  • Non-congregate Shelter Beds
    • Acquisition and rehabilitation to support non-congregate shelter space within continuum

Impact

  • Resumed 386-bed men’s shelter capacity in semi-congregate setting
  • Resumed 186-bed women’s shelter capacity; 2022 transition to non-congregate setting            
  • Reducing concentration enables congregate shelters to create “social distancing” for those at the shelter.           
  • Family Shelters: Operating at pre-pandemic capacity with increased efforts and funding to link households to permanent housing.
Data Source

Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services

  • Disaggregated race data is gathered from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
    • Race categories were selected based on Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidance described in the HMIS data standards manual.
  • During Q1-22, the Office of Homeless Services altered quarterly reporting, removing and archiving metrics related to three-year averages. These datasets are preserved but not visible. 
Performance Target

1 - Year Average Time Homeless - Individuals (Annual): 86 days

1 - Year Average Time Homeless - Persons in Families (Annual): 60 days
1-Year Average Time Homeless - Annual Performance
Cuyahoga County 1-Year Average Time Homeless in Days (by Year)
Bar chart with 2 data series.
Bar chart shows the 1-year average number of days individuals and persons in families spent homeless in Cuyahoga County by calendar year. See data table for details.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying categories.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 0 to 150.
End of interactive chart.
1-Year Average Time Homeless by Race - Annual Performance
Cuyahoga County 1-Year Average Time Homeless in Days by Race (by Year)
Bar chart with 6 data series.
Bar chart shows the 1-year average number of days individuals spent homeless in Cuyahoga County by race by calendar year. See data table for details.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying categories.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 0 to 150.
End of interactive chart.
Additional Resources
Attachments
  • Cuyahoga County Average Time Homeless (Days) (Q4-21 Data Table).xlsx
Measure Data
Last Calculated 3 days ago
Period Status Days Homeless (1-Year Avg) - Individuals Days Homeless (1-Year Avg) - Individuals - Target Days Homeless (1-Year Avg) - Families Days Homeless (1-Year Avg) - Families - Target Black (1-Year Avg) White (1-Year Avg) Asian (1-Year Avg) Two or more races (1-Year Avg) Some other race (1-Year Avg) Data not collected (1-Year Avg)
2015 Not Defined 63 89
2016 Not Defined 102 53
2017 Not Defined 89 63
2018 Not Defined 79 77
2019 Making Progress Toward Target 89 86 63 60
2020 Target Reached 110 86 43 60 75.00 82.00 119.00 57.00 96.00 21.00
2021 Target Reached 79 86 60 60 73.00 79.00 32.00 69.00 66.00 41.00
2022 Not Defined 86 60