Report shows homelessness down in Georgia

ATLANTA - A federal report shows Georgia's large homeless population shrank between 2007 and 2008, but found there was not enough shelter space available statewide and more than half of Georgia's homeless go unsheltered.

The 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Thursday, found there were 19,095 homeless people living in Georgia in 2008. That's down from 19,639 in 2007.

The report also found Georgia was one of only eight states where the majority of homeless were unsheltered. It found 54 percent of Georgia's homeless were typically unsheltered, but said warm weather may encourage homeless to sleep outdoors.

According to the report, there are 13,936 beds available for homeless statewide.