- In the United States more than 3 million
people experience homelessness, including 1.3 million children.
- Families with children make up close to 40% of the U.S. homeless population. [ref.]
Many
of these families are forced onto the street because of a lost job, or
inability to pay rising housing costs.
-
Lack of affordable housing is identified as the main cause of homelessness. [ref.]
It
is very easy for those of us living in comfortable housing to judge those who
have no homes at all. But the fact is that these people likely had to move onto
the street because their housing expenses were much too high for their income
to cover. [ref. 1], [ref. 2]
-
Approximately 66% of all homeless individuals are clean and sober. [ref.]
It
is a common misconception that most homeless people are addicted to a
substance. While there are a percentage of homeless individuals who are left
helpless in the grips of addiction, a large majority of homeless people are not
addicts.
-
27% of cities’ homeless suffer helplessly from mental illness. [ref.]
These
mental illnesses left untreated make it impossible for individuals to properly
care for themselves. With no attention given to these cases they are forced
onto the street to live meager existences.
-
52% of individuals who request shelter are turned down due to lack of shelter
resources. [ref.]
With
all the shelters available it is easy to think that if a person is sleeping on
the street it is because they are not taking advantage of the resources
available to them. This just is not the truth; the fact is that the need is
much greater than the resources that are currently available.
-
Less than 20% of homeless are chronically homeless and there has been a
decrease of chronically homeless individuals over the last few years.
-
A chronically homeless person is defined as an unaccompanied homeless
individual with a disabling condition who has been either continuously homeless
for a year or more or who has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the
past three years. To be
considered chronically homeless, a person must have been on the streets or in
emergency shelter (e.g., not in transitional or permanent housing) during these
stays. Prior to the passage
of the HEARTH Act persons in families could not be considered chronically
homeless
-
Homelessness is heavily concentrated in large coastal states, with California,
New York, and Florida accounting for 39 percent of the homeless population.