4 pages, 2 pages each in different word documents

National Coalition for the Homeless 2201 P Str eet, NW Tel. 202-462-4822 Washington, DC 20037-1033 Fax. 202-462-4823 http://www.national homeless.org Email. info@national homeless.org Bringing America Home Who  is  Homeless?     Published  by  the  National  Coalition  for  the  Homele ss,  July  2009 This f act she et rev iews d efinition s of hom elessnes s and descr ibes the dem ographic ch arac ter istics of persons who experience hom elessness. A list of re sources for further study is also provided. DEFINITI ONS According to the Stewart B. McKinney Act, 42 U.S.C. § 11301, et seq. (1994), a person is considered hom eless who "lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate ni ght-time residence; and... has a prim ary night tim e residency that is: (A) a supervised publicly or privately operated sh elter designed to provide temporary living acco mmodations... (B) An institu tion that provide s a tem porary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or (C) a public or private p lace no t designed for, or ordinarily u sed as, a regu lar sleeping accomm odation for hum an beings." The te rm “hom eless individual” does not include any individual imprisoned or otherw ise detain ed pur suant to an Ac t of Congress or a state law." 42 U.S.C. § 11302(c ) The education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Ac t includes a m ore comprehensive definition of hom elessness. This statute states th at the term ‘hom eless child and youth’ (A) m eans individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttim e residence ... and (B) includes: (i) children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, econom ic hardship, or a sim ila r reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or cam ping grounds due to lack of alternative ad equate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitiona l shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placem ent; (ii) child ren and youth who have a prim ary nigh ttim e residence that is a p rivate o r public place not designed for or ordinarily us ed as a regular sleepi ng accommodation for hum an beings... (iii) children and youth who are living in cars, p arks, public sp aces, abando ned build ing s, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or sim ilar settings, and (iv) m igratory children...who qua lify as hom eless for the purposes of this sub title because the child ren are living in circum stan ces d escrib ed in clauses (i) through (iii). McKinney-Vento Act sec. 725(2) ; 42 U.S.C. 11435(2) . Other federal agencies, such as the Departm ent of Housing and Urban Developm ent (HUD), interpret the McKinney-Vento definition to include only those persons w ho are on the streets or in shelters and persons who face imm inent eviction (with in a week) from a priva te d welling o r in stitu tion and who have no subsequent residence or resources to obtain housing. This interpretati on of hom elessness serves large, urban communities where tens of thousands of pe ople are literally hom eless. However, it m ay prove problem atic for those persons who are hom eless in areas of the country, such as rural areas, where there are few shelters. People experiencing ho melessnes s in thes e ar eas ar e les s likely to liv e on the stree t or in a shelter, and more likely to live with relatives in overcrowded or subs tandard housing (U.S. Departm ent of Agriculture, 1996). DEMOGRAPHICS Two trends are largely responsible for the rise in hom elessness ove r the past 20-25 years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housi ng and a sim ultaneous increase in pov erty. Persons living in poverty are most at risk of becom ing hom eless, and dem ogra phic groups who are more likely to experience poverty are also m ore likely to experien ce h omelessness . R ecent demographic s tatistics are summarized below. AGE In 2003, children under the age of 18 accounted f or 39% of th e hom eless population; 42% of these children were under the age of five (National Law Center on Hom elessn ess and Poverty, 2004). This sam e study found that unaccompanied m inors com prised 5% of the urban homeless population. However, in other cities and especially in rural areas, the num bers of children experiencing hom elessness are much higher. According to the Nationa l Law Center on Hom elessness and Poverty, in 2004, 25% of hom eless were ages 25 to 34; the sam e study found percenta ges of hom eless persons aged 55 to 64 at 6%. GENDE R Most studies show that single hom eless adults are m ore likely to be m ale than fe male. In 2007, a survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that of the population surveyed 35% of the hom eless people who are m embers of households with children are m ale while 65% of these people are fem ales. However, 67.5% of the single homeless population is m ale, and it is this single population th at makes up 76% of the hom eless populations surveyed (U .S. Conference of Mayors, 2007). FAMILIES The num ber of hom eless fam ilies with child ren h as incr eased significan tly over the p ast decade. Fa milies with children are am ong the fastest growing segm ents of the hom eless populati on. In its 2007 survey of 23 Am erican cities, the U.S. Confer ence of Mayors found that fam ilies w ith child ren co mprised 23 % of the hom eless population (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2007). These proportions are likely to be higher in rural areas. Research indicates that fam ilies, single m others, and children m ake up the largest group of people who are hom eless in rural areas (Vi ssing, 1996). All 21 cities with available data cited an increase in the num ber of persons requesting food assistance for the first-tim e. The increase was particularly notable am ong working fam ilies. (U.S. conference of m ayors 2008) As the num ber of fa milies experiencing hom eless ness rises an d the num be r of affordable housing u nits shrinks, families are subject to m uch longer stays in the shelter system . For instance, in the m id-1990s in New York, fam ilies stay ed in a shelter an averag e of five m onths before moving on to perm anent housing. Today, the average stay is 5.7 m onths , and som e surveys say the average is closer to a year (U. S. Conference of Mayors, 2007 and Santos, 2002). Fo r m ore inform ation, see our fact sheet on Hom eless Fam ilies with Children . ETHNICIT Y In its 2006 survey of 25 cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayor found that the sh eltered hom eless population is estim ated to be 42 percent African-Am erican, 38 percent white, 20 percent Hi spanic, 4 percent Native Am erican and 2 percent Asian. (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2006). Like the total U .S. population, the ethnic m akeup of hom eless populations varies accord ing to geographic location. For exam ple, people Bringing America Home experiencing hom elessness in rura l areas are m uch m ore likely to be white; hom elessness am ong Native Am ericans and m igrant workers is also largely a rural phenom enon (U .S. Departm ent of Agriculture, 1996). VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIO LENCE Battered wom en who live in poverty are often forced to choose between abus ive relationships and hom elessness. In a study of 777 hom eless parents (the m ajority of whom we re m others) in ten U.S. cities, 22% said th ey had left their last p lace of resi dence because of dom estic violence (Hom es for the Hom eless, 1998). A 2003 survey of 100 hom eless m others in 10 locations around the country found that 25% of the wom en had been physically abused in the last year (Am erican Civ il Liberties Union, 2004). In addition, 50% of the 24 cities surveyed by the U.S. C onference of Mayors identified dom estic violence as a prim ary cause of hom elessness (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005). Studying the entire country, though, reveals that the problem is even m ore serious. Nati onally, approxim ately half of all wom en and children experiencin g hom elessn ess are fleeing dom estic violence (Zo rza, 1991; N ational Coalition Agains t Dom estic Violence, 2001). For m ore infor mation, see our fact sheet on Dom estic Violence and Hom elessness . Twenty two citie s rep orted that, o n average, 1 5 percen t of hom eless pe rsons were v ictim s of dom estic violence (U.S. Conference of Mayors 2008). VET ERANS Research in dicates that 40% of homeless m en have served in the ar med forces, as compared to 34% of the general adult population (Rosenheck et al., 1996). In 2005, the U.S. Conference of Mayors' survey of 24 Am erican cities found that 11% of the hom eless population were veterans – however, this does not take gender into account (U.S. Conferen ce of Mayors, 2005). The National Coalition for Hom eless Veterans estim ates that on any given night, 271,000 veterans are hom eless (National Coalition for Hom eless Veterans, 1994). For m ore inform ation, see our fact sheet on Ho meless Veterans . The 24 cities providing this inform ation estim ated that 13 percent of persons experiencing hom elessness were veterans. Veterans are slightly over-represented am ong the hom eless population com pared to their prevalence in the overall population (11.2 percent) (U.S. Conference of Mayors 2008).

PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS Persons with severe m ental illn ess represen ted about 26 percent of all sh elte red homeless person s (Annual Hom eless Assessm ent Report to Congress, 2008). Accord ing to the Federal Task Force on Hom elessness and Severe Mental Illness, only 5-7% of hom eless persons w ith m ental il lness requ ire institutionalization ; most can live in the community w ith the appropriate supportive housi ng options (Federal Task Force on Hom elessness and Severe Mental Illness, 1992). For m ore inform ation, see our fact sheet on Mental Illn ess and Hom elessness . The 23 cities that p rovided inf ormation reported that 26 percent of their hom eless population suffered from a se rious m ental illness. By contrast, only six percent of the U.S. population s uffers from a seriou s m ental illn ess (U.S. Conference of May ors 2008). PERSONS SUFFE RING FROM ADDICTION DISORDE RS Surveys of hom eless populations co nducted during the 1980s found consis tently high rates of addiction, particularly am ong single m en; howe ver, recent resear ch has called the results of those studies into question (Koegel et al., 1996). In Su mmary, the studies that produced high prevalence ra tes greatly over represented long-term shelter users and single m en, a nd used lifetim e rather than current m easures of Bringing America Home addiction. While there is no generally accep ted "m ag ic number" with respect to the prevalence o f addiction disorders am ong hom eless adults, the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ num ber in 2005 was 30%, and the frequently cited figure of about 65% is probabl y at least double the real ra te for current addiction disorders among all single adults w ho are hom eless in a year. Am ong surveyed homeless people 38% have an alcohol problem , and 26% report problem s with ot her drugs (National Health Care for the Hom eless Council). For m ore inform ation, see our fact sheet on Addiction Disorders and Hom elessness . EMPLOYMENT Declining w ages have p ut housing o ut of reach for m any wor kers: in every state, m ore than th e minim um wage is required to afford a one- or tw o-bedroom apartm ent at Fair Market Rent. 1 (National Low Incom e Housing Coalition, 2001). In fact, in the m edian state a m inimum -wage worker would have to work 89 hours each week to afford a two-bed room apartm ent at 30% of his or her incom e, which is the federal definition of affordable housing (National Low In com e Housing Coalition 2001). Thus, inadequate incom e leaves m any people hom eless. The U.S. Conf erence of Mayors' 2005 survey of 24 Am eri can cities found that 13% of the urban hom eless population we re em ployed (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005), though recent surveys by the U.S. Conference of Mayor s have reported as high as 25%. In a number of cities not surveyed by the U.S. Conference of May ors - as well as in m any states - th e percentage is even higher (National Coalition for the Hom eless, 1997). W hen asked to id entify the three m ain causes of hunger in their city, 83 per cent of cities cited pover ty, 74 percent cited unemplo ym ent and 57 percent cited the high cost of housing. (U.S. Conf erence of Mayors 2008). For m ore inform ation, see our factsheets on Em ploym ent and Hom elessness and Why Are Pe ople Hom eless? . IMPLICATIONS As this fact sheet m akes clear, people who become hom eless do not fit one general description. H owever, people experiencing hom elessness do have certain sh ared basic needs, including affordable housing, adequate incom es, and health care. Some hom eless people m ay need addi tional services such as m ental health or drug treatm ent in order to rem ain securely housed. All of these needs m ust be m et to prevent and to end hom elessness. FOOTNOTES 1. FMRs are the m onthly am ounts "needed to ren t pr ivately o wned, decen t, safe, and sanitary ren tal housing of a m odest (nonluxury) na ture with suitable am enities." Federal Register . HUD determ ines FMRs f or localitie s in a ll 50 states. REFE RE NCES AND RESOURCES Am erican Civil L iberties Union, W omen’s Rights Pr oject. “Dom estic Violence and Hom elessness”, 2004. Available at www.aclu.org. Burt, Martha and Barbara Cohen. Am erica' s Hom eless: Numbers, Characteris tics, and Program s that Serve T hem , 1989. Available for $9.75 from The Urban Inst itute, Publications O rders, 2100 M St. NW , Washington, DC 20037; 202/833-7200. Federal Task Force on Hom elessne ss and Severe Mental Illness. Outcasts on Main S tree t: A Rep ort of the Federal Task Force on Hom elessne ss and Severe Mental Illness , 1992. Available, free, from the Bringing America Home National Resource Center on Hom elessness and Ment al Illness, 262 Delaware Ave., Delm ar, NY, 12054-1123; 800/444-7415. Hom es for the Hom eless. Ten Cities 1997-1998: A Snapshot of Fa mily Hom elessness Across America . Available f rom Hom es for the Hom eless & the In stitu te for C hildren and Poverty, 36 Cooper Square, 6th Floor, New Yo rk, NY 10003; 212/529-5252. Institute of Medicine. Hom elessness, Health, and Hum an Nee ds, 1988. Available (paperback) for $28.95 from National Academ y Press, Box 285, 2101 Constitu tion A ve., NW , Washington, D C 20055; 1/800-624-6242. Koegel, Paul et al. "The Ca uses of Hom elessness," in Hom elessness in A merica , 1996, Oryx Press. Available for $43.50 from the Natio nal Coalition for the Hom eless, 1012 14th Street, NW , Suite 600, W ashington, DC 20005; 202/737-6444. National Co alition f or th e Hom eless. Hom elessness in Am erica: Unabated and Increa sing , 1997. Available for $6.25 from the National Coalition for th e Hom eless, 1012 14th Street, NW , Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005; 202/737-6444. National Health Care for the Hom eless Council. Addiction, Mental Health, and Homelessness , 2008. Available at www.nhchc.org National Low Incom e Housing Coalition. Out of Reach: Rental Housing at W hat Cost? , 1998. Available fro m the National Low Incom e Housing Coalition at 1012 14th Street, Suite 610, W ashington, DC 20005; 202/662-1530. Rosenheck, Robert et al. "Hom eless Veterans," in Hom elessness in Am erica , Oryx Press, 1996. Available for $43.50 from the National Coalition for the Hom eless, 1012 14th Street, NW , Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005; 202/737-6444. Santos, Fernanda and Robet Ingrassi a. “Fam ily surge at sh elters.” New York Daily News , August 18th, 2002. Available at www.nationa lho meless.org/h ousing/f amiliesar ticle.h tm l. U.S. Conference of May ors. A Status Report on Hunger and Hom elessness in Am erica' s Cities: 1 998 . Available for $15.00 from the U.S. Conferen ce of Mayors, 1620 Eye St., NW , 4th Floor, Washington, DC, 20006-4005, 202/293-7330. U.S. Conference of May ors. A Status Report on Hunger and Hom elessness in Am erica' s Cities: 2 004. Available at www.us mayors.org. U.S. Conference of May ors. A Status Report on Hunger and Hom elessness in Am erica' s Cities: 2 008. Available at www.us mayors.org. U.S. Departm ent of Agr iculture, Rura l Econom ic and Community Developm ent. Rural Hom elessness: Focusing on the Needs o f the Rural Hom eless , 1996. Available, free, from the U.S. Departm ent of Agriculture, Rural Housing Service, Rural Ec onom ic and Community Developm ent, 14th St. and Independence Ave., SW , Washi ngton, DC 20250-1533; 202/690-1533. Urban Institute, The. A New Look a t Hom elessness in Am erica . February 01, 2000. Available from the Urban Institute, 2100 M Street, N.W . / W ashington, DC 20037 or on the website at www.urban.org . Vissing, Yvonne. Out of Sight, Out o f Mind: Hom eless Children and Fa milies in Small Town Am erica , 1996. Available for $16.95 (paperback) from The Un iversity Press of Kentucky, 663 S. Li mestone St., Lexington, KY 40508-4008; 800/839-6855. Zorza, J. “Wom an Battering: A Majo r Cause of Hom elessness ,” Clearingh ouse Review , 25(4) (1991). Qtd. In Nationa l Coalition Against Dom estic Vio lenc e, “The Im portance of Financial Literacy,” Oct. 2001. Bringing America Home