By winter 1987, up to three million men, women, and children will be homeless; the number of homeless persons will continue to increase at a rate of 25 percent. This report surveys the changes in the homeless population in the following 23 cities over the past year: Albuquerque (New Mexico), Atlanta (Georgia), Boston (Massachusetts), Chicago (Illinois), Cleveland (Ohio), Dallas (Texas), Denver (Colorado), Des Moines (Iowa), Laramie (Wyoming), Los Angeles (California), Manchester (New Hampshire), Miami (Florida), Milwaukee (Wisconsin), Minneapolis (Minnesota), Nashville (Tennessee), New Haven (Connecticut), New Orleans (Louisiana), New York (New York), Phoenix (Arizona), Portland (Oregon), Richmond (Virginia), Seattle (Washington), and Washington, D.C. For each city information is given on the extent of need, resources available, causes of homelessness, housing situation, and Federal role. Data were culled from interviews with scores of service providers and local government officials. Among the findings are the following: (1) the number of homeless persons increased by an average of 25 percent over the past year; (2) the fastest-growing group among the homeless is families with children; (3) over 40 percent of the homeless population now consists of members of families; (4) increasing numbers of homeless persons are working but unable to find housing that they can afford; and (5) the single most important cause of homelessness is the extreme shortage of affordable housing. Drastic cuts in Federal funding for housing programs for the poor have led to the rise in homelessness. The Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act was an important first step, but Congress must do more to effect a long-term solution to homelessness. The creation of 350,000 new units of Federally-subsidized housing is recommended. An overview of Federal housing policies is appended. A chart illustrates the data. (BJV)