Wyoming’s homeless population continues to rise

Figures show Wyoming’s homeless population continues to rise.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says there were 873 homeless people in the state as of January. That number has increased each year since 2014.

Of those people experiencing homelessness, 41 percent were unsheltered, meaning they were staying in a public or private place not meant to accommodate a sleeping person, like a park bench or a car.

The number of homeless people living in Wyoming spiked in 2011 and 2012, with a high count of 1,813 in 2012. The number dropped in the following years, but has never returned to the lower numbers seen before 2011.

The number of homeless families, chronically homeless individuals and homeless veterans decreased from 2016.