In D.C., Number of Families Without Housing Jumps

The number of homeless people in the District increased 3 percent in the past year, according to the city's annual survey of people living in emergency shelters and transitional housing and on the streets.

The most significant increase was in the number of homeless families, which rose nearly 25 percent, according to the Jan. 28 survey by the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness in the District.

It counted 6,228 homeless people, compared with 6,043 last year. The survey found 3,934 unaccompanied single people and 2,294 people in families, including children.

Because of new housing programs and the closure of one major homeless shelter downtown, the number of people living in emergency shelters decreased 10 percent and the number of those with no shelter decreased 15 percent, according to the survey.

The bad economy is playing a role in increased homelessness, but the high number of families could also be explained by an expansion of the city's transitional housing program, said Clarence H. Carter, director of the city's Department of Human Services.