According to a recent report issued by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, there has been a 9 percent overall increase in the number of homeless families during the period October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008.

The 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, released on Thursday, revealed that at least one-third of the almost 1.6 million people living in transitional housing or in a shelter in 2008 comprised families - the numbers are a marginal rise over the year-before figures.

Statistics show that the above-mentioned period saw the number of sheltered homeless individuals staying more or less static, as against the increase in the number of homeless families seeking shelter. The increase in the number of homeless in suburban and rural areas was rather substantial - at 56 percent.

Specifically speaking for the sheltered homeless individuals, 64 percent are men; and 62 percent are minority-community members. While 40 percent of them are between
31 to 50 years old; 12 percent are veterans.

Commenting on the situation, Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan said: "This data, given the timing of it, does not reflect the full brunt of the economic crisis and the housing crisis that we've been through." Adding that the problem of chronic homelessness needs to be solved, Donovan said: "I think we need to advance strategies around homeless families and to increase funding for homeless families."