Why Do People Become Homeless?

[Shireling]

Why Are People Homeless?

Published by the National Coalition for the Homeless, July 2009


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Two trends are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the past 20-25 years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty. Below is an overview of current poverty and housing statistics, as well as additional factors contributing to homelessness. A list of resources for further study is also provided.



FORECLOSURE

Recently, foreclosures have increased the number of people who experience homelessness. The National Coalition for the Homeless released an entire report discussing the relationship between foreclosure and homelessness. The report found that there was a 32% jump in the number of foreclosures between April 2008 and April 2009. Since the start of the recession, six million jobs have been lost. In May 2009, the official unemployment rate was 9.4%. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that 40 percent of families facing eviction due to foreclosure are renters and 7 million households living on very low incomes (31 - 50 percent of Area Median Income) are at risk of foreclosure.



POVERTY
Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. Poor people are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, childcare, health care, and education. Difficult choices must be made when limited resources cover only some of these necessities. Often it is housing, which absorbs a high proportion of income that must be dropped. If you are poor, you are essentially an illness, an accident, or a paycheck away from living on the streets.

In 2007, 12.5% of the U.S. population, or 37,300,00 million people, lived in poverty. The official poverty rate in 2007 was not statistically different than 2006 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2007). Children are overrepresented, composing 35.7% of people in poverty while only being 24.8% of the total population.


http://www.nationalhomesless.org

[SDuderstadt]

1. Thanks, Shireling!

Homelessness needs to be eradicated.

[SoCalDem]

2. People tend to get "marooned" too.

Especially in high-cost states. If you have a decent job, and then lose it, you are sometimes stuck in an area where there are no places to rent that you can afford, and state agencies do not have enough money to help people these days.

If your family lives several states away, and you have a car that would not make that trip, and you have no money to get there, you are pretty much screwed and stuck where you are:(

Families do not live close to each other muich these days.


I found an old census record (1930) & found my grandparents on it.. at their address, there were 4 brothers & their wives all living there, and there were children too.. This was in a big ole brick bungalow with a full basement, but it must have been jammed to the rafters with people.

When I knew all these relatives, they all were prosperous older people with nice homes, but for a time in their younger years they all huddled together in one house..

[leftstreet]

6. Yep. Fastest growing group is non-chronic single adult

'marooned' is a good word for it

marooned without anything affordable and without traditional social groupings to rely on

[bobbolink]

3. "There are many "$6.00 an hour jobs in today's economy, but not much $6.00 an hour housing." ---

Andrew M. Cuomo, former HUD secretary (Housing and Development Reporter, 1998).

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Thanks for sharing this _very_ important information! Foreclosure and medical

bankruptcy are always sort of lurking in the back of my mind as very scary, very real possibilities for my own family.

[Papagoose]

5. It really burns me up when people assume it is laziness

I make a good living for what I do, but I am only a couple of missing paychecks away from homelessness. I have nothing saved other than a very small retirement account that I've already borrowed against.

[Spinny Liberal]

13. I think a lot

of us walk that tightrope. Scary stuff.

[digonswine]

7. It is stunning-

We, many of us, live on the knife's edge. Without family, opportunity, and luck, I'd be out there. But it's just easier to assume that it is a personal failure of those unfortunates.

[woo me with science]

8. Because their pensions are raided? nt

[Mojeoux]

9. Homelessness makes low taxes for the rich possible.

Is it too much to ask so they can get another vacation home in Italy?

:evilgrin:
:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[bobbolink]

10. "In 2000, there was not one single housing market in the country where a person with a disability

disability receiving SSI benefits could afford to rent a modest efficiency or one-bedroom unit. Only 9% of those receiving SSI disability and not in hospital or other facility receive housing assistance."

National Low Income Housing Coalition

[H2O Man]

11. Recommended.

Thank you.

[Shireling]

12. You're most welcome

"He ain't heavy. He's my brother." We need to bring back that consciousness.

[Spinny Liberal]

14. Talk about depressing

I need to read something happy now.