healthcare in the spirit of generous excellenceImportant Links:
- United Way of the Midlands-Basic & Material Needs read
- A Growing Need-Children Living in Homeless Shelters read
- Local Homeless Challenges and Facts read
- Homelessness in America Today read
- National Estimates of Homelessness read
- People Need Health Care read
- An Effective Response to the Problem read
Local Homeless Challenges and Facts
According to the Omaha Area Continuum of Care Monthly Housing Count, on any given night in Omaha and Council Bluffs there are between 900-950 homeless. Of those:
- 50 percent are women and children
- 10 percent are veterans
- 2 percent are physically disabled
This is only an average of a typical night in the shelters. This count includes only those individuals residing in the various emergency shelter and transitional living facilities. It does not include those residing with friends, in abandoned buildings or on the street.
In 2003, the VNA nurses provided care to 2,096 men, 636 women and 1,065 children, for a total of 3,797 visits. However, many of the homeless clients are seen more than once by the shelter nurses, which resulted in 11,098 actual visits.