Homelessness in America 2; Doing the Numbers - Nikki Lorenzini

According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, an average of 700,000 to 2 million people are homeless every night. Who are the people these numbers represent? According to a December 2000 report of the US conference of Mayors, 44% of the homeless are single men, 13% are single women, 36% are families with children, and 7% are unaccompanied minors. Racially, 50% are African American, 35% White, 12% Hispanic, 2% Native American, and 1% Asian.

In 1996, the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients did a study on the state of people who are homeless. They found that single homeless individuals that year reported an average income of $348 during a 30-day period, which is about 51% of the 1996 poverty level of $680/per month for one person. 44% of homeless people did paid work during the preceding month, and 21% received some type of income from their family and friends. 66% percent had problems with alcohol, drugs, or mental illnesses and 7% had been sexually assaulted. There were 38% who said they had had someone steal money or other things directly from them, and 30% had been homeless for more that 2 years.

There are two groups who might get lost in the mix of homelessness. One is children and families. According to America’s Second Harvest, 1 in 5 people in a soup kitchen line is a child. The U.S. Census Bureau found 1 in 5 children (more than 12 million total) living in poverty. The child poverty rate in the U.S. is higher than it is in most other industrialized nations. In 1999, there were approximately 12 million American children who were hungry or at risk of hunger, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Requests for emergency food assistance from families with children rose by 16% in 2000, the highest increase since the 1991 recession. Almost 9 million children that in working poor families.

The second group is homeless veterans. They have served in WWII, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq, plus the military’s anti-drug efforts in South America. Nearly half of all homeless vets served in Vietnam. Two-thirds served at least three years, and one-third in a war zone. There are an estimated 107,000 homeless vets on any given night. The nation’s homeless vets are predominantly male, with about 5% females. They mostly come from urban areas, are single, and suffer from mental illness, alcohol dependence, and/or substance abuse. Homeless veterans account for about 1/3 of the adult homeless population.

There are several factors for their homelessness, from a shortage of affordable housing, a livable income, and access to health care. A large number of at-risk and displaced vets live with the lingering side effects of post traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, in addition to lacking a support network. According to Understanding Homeless: New Policy and Research Perspectives, most housing money is devoted to helping homeless families or homeless women with children, with not enough money to help the homeless vets.

According to a report put out by the USICH:

23% of the total homeless population are veterans
33% of the male homeless population are veterans
47% served during the Vietnam era
17% served post-Vietnam
15% served pre-Vietnam
67% served three or more years
33% were stationed in a war zone
25% have used VA homeless services
85% completed high school/GED, compared to 56% of non-veterans
89% received an honorable discharge
79% reside in central cities
16% reside in suburban areas
5% reside in rural areas
76% experience alcohol, drug, or mental health problems
46% are white males, compared to 34% of non-veterans
46% are age 45 or older, compared to 20% non-veterans

Service needs cited include:

45% in need of help finding a job
37% in need of help finding housing