Nearly 4,000 children in the Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth and Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school districts were homeless around the start of the school year, more than in any of the past seven years, the report says. In Hennepin County, the number of families seeking shelter in July, August and September — typically the busiest months for the county’s shelter services — was the highest quarterly average since 2000, with the exception of 2013.

Advocates for the homeless said people at the bottom of the economic ladder are falling into several gaps. There are more jobs, but they don’t pay enough. More housing is going up, but sale prices are soaring. The tightening rental market is even more difficult for people looking to pay less than the average rent, which rose this summer to $1,007 in the Twin Cities.

“Certain groups of people are really benefiting; other groups of people are yet to benefit from the improved economy,” said Leigh Rosenberg, research and communications director for the Minnesota Housing Partnership.

The organization’s report pulled together data from several government agencies, much of it from between July and October. It included some hopeful signs for renters and homeowners: The number of evictions filed in the state was down from 2013, and the number of mortgage delinquencies and pre-foreclosure notices stayed relatively stable.

Meanwhile, the number of building permits issued in the state was up for the fourth straight year.

All of that is good news — but only if you’re making enough to even consider being able to rent or buy a home, said Mikkel Beckmen, director of Hennepin County’s Office to End Homelessness.

Read more