A survey of hundreds of homeless people on Oahu this week provides stark evidence of the everyday, life-threatening challenges they face.

As many as 161, or 36.7 percent, of the 439 homeless people surveyed had at least one characteristic that would place them at a higher risk of dying if they remain on the street, said Kent Anderson, coordinator of the nonprofit 100,000 Homes Oahu, which conducted the survey.

At-risk factors include simultaneously suffering from mental illness, substance abuse and other health problems; being hospitalized more than three times or making more than three emergency room visits; and being over 60 years old, Anderson said.

The survey also found that 30.7 percent reported being a victim of a violent attack since becoming homeless.

"It’s important to remember that they are victims, too," said Colin Kippen, Hawaii state coordinator on homelessness.

The data illustrate that the longer homeless people remain unsheltered, the higher the toll on their health, officials said.

More than half, or 240 people, said they had gone to an emergency room and/or had a hospital stay recently. All told, they accounted for 408 emergency room visits in the past three months and 328 hospital stays in the past year. Nearly 25 percent of all respondents are uninsured.

In addition, 65.4 percent reported substance abuse problems, and 44.7 percent reported suffering from mental illness.

The group 100,000 Homes Oahu plans to release the data today after sending about 200 volunteers — escorted by police and social workers — to survey "unsheltered homeless people" in Waikiki, urban Hono­­lulu and the Leeward Coast from Monday to Wednesday. They gathered names, pictures and birth dates of individuals sleeping on the streets. Teams also collected data on their health status, length of homelessness, patterns of shelter use, previous housing situations and institutional history such as time spent in jail, prison, a hospital or the military.

The detailed demo­­graphic data will be used to determine the unsheltered homeless people who will get a chance to live in permanent supportive housing, organizers said. The data also will assist outreach workers in identifying the housing and service resources that would best reduce chronic unsheltered homelessness. The group aims to move 100 of Oahu’s most at-risk homeless people and families into permanent homes in the next two years.

Anderson said 100 of the most vulnerable of those surveyed have been identified: 38 people in urban Hono­lulu, 37 on the Leeward Coast and 25 in Waikiki. They come from all ages and backgrounds, he said.

"Half of the most vulnerable people are over the age of 53," Anderson said. "The oldest respondent was a 97-year-old from Wai­anae. It concerns us that there is a growing population of kupuna who are homeless."

Veterans and children were also among the most vulnerable, Kippen said.

Nearly 12 percent of those surveyed reported that they had children living with them, and 13.4 percent had been in foster care themselves, he said.

"Those who aged out of foster care have a higher likelihood of becoming homeless," Kippen said. "Just think about the development of a human being. How many of us are ready to be self-sufficient at 18?"

Outreach workers will begin approaching some of the most vulnerable people next week, Anderson said.

"We hope to get the first of them into permanent supportive homes in the next few weeks," he said. "Obviously, not everyone will want to participate, but the program has a high acceptance rate nationwide."

"One hundred people is just our goal. We hope to get many more of Oahu’s unsheltered homeless into permanent housing," Anderson said. "We have a chance to save people’s lives and public money at the same time."