One in five homeless Americans live in California, where the problem is especially acute. In the Golden State and three other western states – Hawaii, Nevada and Oregon – more than 50% of homeless people are categorized as unsheltered, meaning they are living in the streets, vehicles or parks, in places not fit for humans to stay. In New York, by comparison, the number is less than 5%. read more
Homeless people sleep in the pews at St Boniface Catholic Church as part of the Gubbio Project
Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian