Data Points: COVID-19 and the homeless population

National data on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among the homeless population is difficult to come by. A study in late March by researchers from Boston University, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Pennsylvania suggested that as many as 21,295 homeless people could be hospitalized and 3,454 could die due to COVID-19. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness meanwhile reported that there were 4,845 positive COVID-19 cases and 130 deaths as of June 30. But homelessness experts say that number is likely low due to inconsistent data collection across the nation.