HATE CRIMES/VIOLENCE DATA OVER A TEN YEAR PERIOD (1999-2008):

Over the past decade, advocates, homeless shelter workers, and the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) all began to recognize that reports of hate crimes and violent acts against people experiencing homelessness were increasing with frequency and brutality.  As a result, in 1999, the NCH began publishing annual reports documenting hate crimes and violent attacks against people experiencing homelessness.  These annual reports have not only served to document the number of deaths and non-lethal attacks, but have included the individual stories of the victims of these crimes.  This annual study makes evident the great number of crimes as well as the large geographic area in which they occur.

Total number of violent acts of 10 years: 880
Total number of deaths over 10 years: 244
Total number of non-lethal attacks over 10 years: 636
Total Number of cities where crimes occurred over 10 years: 263
Total number of states where crimes occurred over 10 years: 46, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.
Age range of the accused/convicted: 10 to 75 years of age
Age range of the victims: 4 months to 74 years of age
Gender of victims:  Male:  547   Female:  80

CONTENTS: Main page | pdf of full report | Acknowledgements | Dedication | Executive Summary | Purpose, Methodology, and Previous Reports | Introduction | Historical Summary of Hate Crimes/Violence Data for 1999-2008 | Summary of Hate Crimes/Violence Data in 2008 | Summary of Teen/Young Adult Involvement in Hate Crimes/Violent Acts | Summary of Ages of the Accused versus Ages of the Victims | Summary of Victims Who Were Middle-Aged | Cities where Hate Crimes/Violence Occurred in 2008 | Map of Cities where Hate Crimes/Violence Occurred in 2008 | States where Hate Crimes/Violence Occurred in 2008 | Map of States where Hate Crimes/Violence Occurred in 2008 | Cities Where Hate Crimes/Violence Occurred – 1999-2008 | Map of Cities Where Hate Crimes/Violence Occurred – 1999-2008 | Comparison of Hate Crime Homicides vs. Lethal Attacks on Homeless Individuals | National Media Coverage of Hate Crimes/Violent Acts Against Homeless People | Video Exploitation of Homeless People | Recognizing Anti-Homeless Violence as Hate Crime, by Brian Levin | Legislation | Recommendations for Action | Model City/County/State Legislation/Resolutions | Adopted City/County/State Legislation/Resolutions | Public Education Initiatives | Listing of Incidents by City | Case Descriptions Involving Deaths | Case Descriptions Involving Non-Lethal Rape/Sexual Assault | Case Descriptions Involving Non-Lethal Setting on Fire | Case Descriptions Involving Non-Lethal Beatings | Case Descriptions Involving Non-Lethal Shootings | Case Descriptions Involving Non-Lethal Police Harassment/Brutality | Appendix A: Sources | Appendix B: NCH Hate Crimes Public Service Ads |