Number of area residents who identify as homeless jumps nearly 70%

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) -There is an increase in demand for homeless shelters and services in the metro.

The Fargo Moorhead area saw close to a 70% increase in people who identified as homeless in 2023 compared to 2022 statistics.

“In terms of demand for shelter the two fastest growing segments that we see are seniors that are over the age of 55 and children under the age of 5 so kind of like both ends of that demographic spectrum seem to be growing and of course those are the two ends of the demographic spectrum that are some of the most vulnerable in our community.” Says Churches United’s Sue Koesterman.

Jan Anderson of Fargo public schools discussed how youth homelessness has a severe effect on their mental health and academics caused by instability.

“Usually it isn’t because they don’t have the academic ability it’s because they’re moving around so much that they start losing their credit accrual and it starts in kindergarten and first grade when they start missing but it may not be to anything of them it’s that they’re moving around.” Says Anderson.

But when it comes down to the causes of the increase in homelessness. It all comes back to our economy.

Fargo Cass Health’s Chandler Esslinger said, “I think when we consider root causes of homelessness you can make a direct link to the level of economic instability that exists in the community and so when people are unable to sustain everything it takes to be housed and to navigate life to have a job that pays all your bills that’s what it really boils down to.”

United Way say around one thousand people experience homelessness locally, with two hundred of them being kids