Summer Economics/ CS 2006

Picture found at: http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org/images/homeless_alley.jpg

Homelessness has increased in the past years and there are many factors economically, politically, socially and medically, that cause it to occur. Under the economic factors, there is the issue of a lack of affordable housing. The National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness stated, "According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, families across the country would need to earn a 'housing wage' of $15.37 an hour, nearly three times the current minimum wage to afford a two-bedroom apartment at the average fair market rent. West Virginia has the least expensive rental state, but the wage of $8.78 an hour would be needed just to afford a two-bedroom apartment." Everyone in America is facing this housing problem. There are also the issues of low incomes and lack of affordable medical care that falls underneath the economic factors. The current minimum wage nationally is 27% less than it was in 1968, making it harder to live a standard life. For health care, a family could spend up to $8000 a year. These issues lead to the question of, what should be sacrificed, food, health care or housing?
Politically, there is a lack of government intervention. There are cuts in federal assistance for housing programs and social services and that is definitely not needed. The campaign also said, "Without a safety net to help, many of the lowest income people must choose between things like food, medical care, and housing to make ends meet." There has been many requests from the homeless for more emergency shelters.(3) There is a very high lack of awareness of programs. Nationally, only 19% of respondents taking a survey created by the Los Angeles Mission could name an agency or program that provides rehabilitation or job training for the homeless. At least 56% of the respondents were able to recognize food and/or shelter for the homeless. (2)
Due to mental illness, drug addiction, and alcoholism, poverty is a possibility and people are at a greater risk of becoming homeless. 25% of the homeless population suffer from some form of mental illness and because of the high cost of health insurance, homeless people have no access to proper care to treat their mental illness. Also, 20% of the homeless population have a drug and/or alcohol addiction, but without affordable medical care, there's no way to help them with their addictions. (3)

- In the U.S., more than 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year.
- 35% of the homeless population are families with children, which is the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.
- 25% are U.S. military veterans.
- 25% are children under the age of 18 years.
- 30% have experienced domestic violence
- 20-25% suffer from mental illness
- In urban communities, people experience homelessness for an average of eight months.
- 22% are employed
- On average, people remain homeless for 6 months. (4)

(compiled by the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness)

More fact sheets on some states can be found here. (5)

Twenty-four cities (Boston, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Charleston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Louisville, Miami, Nashville, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Providence, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Seattle, St. Paul and Trenton) took a "Hunger and Homelessness Survey" and compiled a list of their combined homelessness percentages.

- Requests for emergency shelter increased by an average of 6% with 71% of the cities registering an increase. Requests for shelter by homeless families alone increased by 5% with 63% of the cities reporting an increase.
- An average of 14% of the requests for emergency shelter by homeless people overall and 32% of the requests by homeless families alone are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year.
- In 88% of the cities, emergency shelters may have to turn away homeless families due to lack of resources; 79% may also have to turn away other homeless people
- People remain homeless an average of seven months and 87% of the cities stated that the length of time people were homeless increased during the last year
- 22% of homeless people in the cities are considered mentally ill; 30% are substance abusers; 15% are substance abusers; 15% are employed; 11% are veterans
- In 57% of the cities, families may have to break up in order to be sheltered. In 48% of the cities families may have to spend their daytime hours outside of the shelter they use at night.
- Requests for assisted housing by low-income families and individuals increased in 86% of the cities in the past year. (1)