More than 50% of Homeless are Registered Sex Offenders in Some States

Media Inquiries

Stefani Buhajla
Director of Communications
Cicero Institute
[email protected]

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Issue Areas

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Austin, TX — A new report from the Cicero Institute finds that sex offenders make up a significant proportion of the unsheltered homeless population across many U.S. states. In eight states, over half of the unsheltered homeless population are registered sex offenders. The research calls for new policy approaches that acknowledge this reality without compromising public safety.

“Understanding who is homeless is critical to crafting effective, humane policies,” said Devon Kurtz, the report’s author. “Ignoring this subpopulation only perpetuates the crisis.”

Key findings include:

• In 32 states, more than 10% of the unsheltered homeless are registered sex offenders.
• Sex offenders face unique barriers to housing that current homelessness interventions often overlook.
• States like Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Delaware show especially high concentrations.

The full report is available at https://ciceroinstitute.org/research/sex-offenders-an-overlooked-but-significant-subpopulation-of-the-homeless/.

Quick Facts

Top Stats

• In 8 states, over 50% of unsheltered homeless individuals are registered sex offenders.
• National average: ~13% when including those with “unknown addresses.”

Key Points

• Public Safety: High concentrations of homeless sex offenders create risks in encampments.
• Policy Gap: Current homelessness programs often exclude this population, worsening the crisis.
• Data-Driven Solutions: Effective homelessness reform must consider the real demographics on the street.

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About the Cicero Institute:

The Cicero Institute designs and promotes public policies that solve some of America’s toughest challenges. Our homelessness work is focused on actionable research that empowers lawmakers to build healthier, safer communities.