Homeless and Family Stabilization

Homelessness Information Resources

The face of homelessness has changed
and now reflects who we least suspect.

People who are homeless are the poorest of the poor. While almost half (44%) of homeless people work at least part-time, their monthly income averages only $367 (the median monthly income for U.S. households is $2,840).

While most homeless persons are unaccompanied adults, the number of homeless families is growing:

66% are single adults (75% of whom are men)

23% are children under 18 with a parent (of these 42% are under age 5)

1 in 5 children between the ages of 3 and 6 who are homeless are severely depressed and need professional intervention.

One-third of school age homeless children have severe mental illness.

Only one-third of all kids who need mental health services get them

11% are parents with children (of these, 84% are single women)

60% of those moms were physically abused as children

44% of those moms had some out-of-home experience as a child – with 20% being in the foster care system.

63% of those moms have experienced domestic violence.

1 in 3 of those moms have attempted suicide

12% of those moms have been hospitalized for mental health condition.

Racial and ethnic minorities are overrepresented:

41% are non-Hispanic Whites (compared to 76 percent of the general population).
40% are African Americans (compared to 11 percent of the general population).
11% are Hispanics (compared to 9 percent of the general population).
8% are Native Americans (compared to 1 percent of the general population).

Common Characteristics

The homeless share some common characteristics:

23% are veterans (compared to 13 percent of the general population).
25% were physically or sexually abused as children.
27% were in foster care or institutions as children.
21% were homeless as children.
54% were incarcerated at some point in their lives.

How many people are homeless?2

In any given week in the United States during 2003, an estimated 842,000 adults and children are homeless, with that number growing to as many as 3.5 million over the course of a year (Conference of Mayors study).

In 1996, an estimated 637,000 adults were homeless in any given week. In the same year, an estimated 2.1 million adults were homeless over the course of a year. These numbers increase dramatically when children are included, to 842,000 and 3.5 million, respectively.

Over a 5-year period, about 2 to 3 percent of the U.S. population (5 to 8 million people) experience at least one night of homelessness. For the great majority of these people, the experience is short and often caused by a natural disaster, house fire, or community evacuation. A smaller group of perhaps 500,000 people has greater difficulty ending homelessness.

One researcher who examined a sample of homeless persons over a 2-year period found:

About 80% exit from homelessness within 2 or 3 weeks. They often have more personal, social, and economic resources to draw from than people who are homeless for longer periods of time.
About 10% are homeless for up to 2 months, with housing availability and affordability adding to the time they are homeless.
Another 10 % are homeless on a chronic, protracted basis, for as long as 7 or 8 months in a 2-year period. Disabilities, mental illnesses and substance use are common. On any given night, this group of homeless persons can account for up to 50 percent of those seeking emergency shelter.

Why are so many people homeless?1

The reasons that people become homeless are as varied and complex as the individuals themselves.

According to 23 of the 25 cities surveyed by the US Conference of Mayors in 2003, the lack of affordable housing directly contributes to homelessness. Other major causes included low-paying jobs, lack of needed services, mental illness or substance abuse problems.

Factors contributing to homelessness

Poverty.
In 1996, the median monthly income for people who were homeless was $300, which is only 44 percent of the Federal poverty level for a single adult. Losses in the numbers of manufacturing and industrial jobs, combined with an 18 percent decline in the real value of the minimum wage between 1979 and 1997, have left significant numbers of people without a livable income.
Housing.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that there are 5 million households in the U.S. with incomes below 50 percent of the local median that pay more than half of their income for rent or that live in severely substandard housing. This is made worse by a 5 percent decline since 1991 in the number of housing units affordable to extremely low-income households, a loss of more than 370,000 units. Federal rental assistance has not been able to bridge the gap; the average wait for Section 8 rental assistance is now 28 months.
- Between 1995 and 1997, the number of housing units that rent for less than $300, adjusted for inflation, declined from 6.8 million in 1996 to 5.5 million in 1998, a 19 percent drop of 1.3 million units.
- Between 1991 and 1995, median rental costs paid by low-income renters rose 21% (Daskal, 1998).
- From 2000 to 2002, the national housing wage for a two bedroom home increased by 18%. By comparison, the inflation rate for 2001 was 1.6% (Out of Reach, 2002).
Disability.
People with disabilities who are unable to work and must rely on entitlements such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can find it virtually impossible to find affordable housing. In 2000, the federal SSI benefit was $512 per month, which would not cover the cost of an efficiency or one-bedroom apartment in any major housing market in the country.

Several individual factors also may increase a person's risk for becoming homeless and remaining homeless for a longer period of time:

Untreated mental illness can cause individuals to become paranoid, anxious, or depressed, making it difficult or impossible to maintain employment, pay bills, or keep supportive social relationships.
Substance abuse can drain financial resources, erode supportive social relationships, and make exiting from homelessness extremely difficult.
Co-occurring disorders. Individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders are among the most difficult groups to put in stable housing and treat. This is due to the limited availability of integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment in most locations.
Other circumstances. People may become homeless for a variety of other reasons, including divorce or separation, domestic violence, chronic or unexpected health care expenses, release from incarceration, or release from foster care.

Glaring Trends1

People are remaining homeless for longer periods - an average of five months. 60% of the cities reported that the length of homelessness time increased over the past year.

84 percent of cities that turned away people from homeless shelters did so because of lack of space – a 38%increase from 2002 and the largest percentage in seven years.

Other Findings

Homelessness is a largely urban phenomenon:

71% are in central cities.
21% are in suburbs.
9% are in rural areas.

People who are homeless frequently have health problems:

38% report alcohol use problems.
26% report other drug use problems.
39% report some form of mental health problem; 20-25% meet criteria for serious mental illnesses.
66% report substance use and/or mental health problems.
3$ report having HIV/AIDS.
26% report acute health problems other than HIV/AIDS such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, or sexually transmitted diseases.
46% report chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or cancer.

References

1 US Conference of Mayors Survey: Data was collected between Nov. 1, 2002 and Oct. 31, 2003. Twenty five cities participated in the survey: Boston; Burlington, Vt.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Charleston, S.C.; Chicago; Cleveland; Denver; Detroit; Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles; Louisville Metro, Ky.; Nashville; New Orleans; Norfolk, Va.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Portland; Providence, R.I.; Salt Lake City; San Antonio, Texas; San Francisco; Santa Monica, Calif.; Seattle; Trenton, N.J.; and Washington, D.C.

2 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Mental Health Information Center