Homelessness in the United States is on the decline, according to a new report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Arizona was one of several states that saw a drop.

HUD had a mandate from the Obama administration to end homelessness. And since 2010, the agency has urged communities to do just that.

"The state of Arizona has been diligent in adopting evidence based Housing first is one of those. The idea being the most effective and efficient solution is to provide a home," Said Ed Cabrera, with HUD.

The result is a 30 percent drop in Arizona and a 20 percent drop in the Phoenix-metro area. Still Cabrera said tough choices had to be made as HUD moved away from models like shelters and transitional housing.

"I think we’re positioning ourselves to make a better case once we see communities adopting these best practices and showing these results that we’re starting to see in Arizona," Cabrera said.

The figures in this report came from volunteers across the country who went out and counted the number of homeless individuals in a single evening last January.