Indigenous, Black and people of color in Minnesota experience disparities that place them at greater risk for housing instability compared to white Minnesotans. These disparities are most pronounced for Native American and Black Minnesotans. Additionally, these communities’ increased risk of financial instability does not fully explain their increased risk of homelessness. 

For example, in the most recent data (2023 ACS and 2024 PIT), Native Americans are four times more likely to experience poverty but 31 times more likely to experience homelessness than white Minnesotans. Black Minnesotans are four times more likely to experience poverty but 11 times more likely to experience homelessness than white Minnesotans.

Our 2024-2027 Strategic Plan recognizes that some communities of shared identities, experiences or geographies disproportionally face housing instability and disparities in housing outcomes. These include people of color, lower-income households and people with disabilities. These communities are a priority because the current market is not working for them, and they experience barriers in accessing and navigating affordable housing.

Indigenous, Black and people of color are disproportionately impacted by homelessness. These disparities reflect the structural racism, trauma, economic inequities that have limited the ability of Indigenous, Black, people of color and people with low incomes from creating wealth and accessing opportunity.

This metric compares rates of poverty and homelessness for communities of color with the white community in Minnesota. The metric benchmarks these rates for communities to the subpopulation with the best outcome to demonstrate the full extent of the disparity across communities. The white community is the benchmark in this metric as they experience the lowest rates of poverty and homelessness. A value of one represents a rate of homelessness or poverty that is equal to that of the white community.  

General Population: The estimated rate of representation of each community in the general population compared to the white community. A value below one means the community is less represented than the white community. Race and ethnicity categories are mutually exclusive (e.g., Black households exclude those that are Latino). Data from 1-year iPUMS sample of the American Community Survey (ACS).

Population in Poverty: The estimated rate of representation of each community in poverty compared to the white community. The poverty level is based on federal guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Race and ethnicity categories are mutually exclusive (e.g., Black households exclude those that are Latino). Data from 1-year iPUMS sample of the American Community Survey (ACS). 

Population Experiencing Homelessness: The estimated rate of representation of each community in the homeless population relative to the white community. Data from the HUD Point-in-Time (PIT) Count and 1-year iPUMS sample of the American Community Survey (ACS). 

Prior to the 2024 count, the PIT data reported race and ethnicity categories separately (e.g., Black households include those that are Latino). Beginning in 2024, the PIT data included enough detail to report race and ethnicity data as mutually exclusive categories (e.g., Black households are non-Latino). 

The PIT count was not conducted statewide in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Local communities conduct the PIT count, and variations in collection methods can result in year-to-year fluctuations for race and ethnicity.

Note: The years in the graph reflect the year of the PIT count and the ACS data from the previous year. For example, 2024 has 2024 PIT data and 2023 ACS data. The PIT data is available a year before the ACS data.