Advocacy for the Poor - Thinking Nationally...Advocating Locally.Advocacy for the Poor - Thinking Nationally...Advocating Locally.

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    Hunger

    The current economic crisis has contributed to a growing number of homeless in the nation.

    The Problem

    • In 2007, the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) counted the US homeless population at 671,859. When the data were collected, only 18% of homeless persons are chronically homeless. 42% of the homeless were unsheltered.

      • Along with the homeless count, NAEH also provides some economic indicators that are predictors of homelessness. When the data were collected, only 13% of the US population lived below the Federal Poverty Level, only 4.6% of the US population was unemployed, and only 15% of the US population had what could be considered a severe housing cost burden.

        • Since 2007, adjustable rate mortgages have created severe burdens for many families, the unemployment rate has doubled, and the number of people who live below the Federal Poverty Level has increased.

      • In the summer of 2009, the NAEH released a three-part informational series on homelessness in the United States, entitled “Geography of Homelessness.” The series sought to determine who is most likely to experience homelessness and in what areas is homelessness most likely (http://www.endhomelessness.org).

      • America’s homeless are overwhelmingly concentrated in urban areas; 77% of U.S. homeless are in urban areas. That means that 29 of every 10,000 people in urban areas is experiencing homelessness.

      • 35% of people experiencing homelessness in urban areas are single people who are not chronically homeless. Chronically homeless individuals comprise 14% of urban homelessness. 27% of the urban homeless are families with children.

      • The NAEH also examined the homeless population to determine who is seeking shelter. Of the urban homeless, 27% of families with children and 26% of individuals who are not chronically homeless seek shelter. For the chronically homeless, however, the rate of people who do not seek shelter (12.6%) is higher than the rate of people who do (6.1%)

    The Consequences

    • In the “Geography of Homelessness,” the National Association to End Homelessness also looked at the issue state by state. In North Carolina, the NAEH found:

      • 11,802 people experiencing homelessness, which is equivalent to 13 homeless people per 10,000

      • 58% of those people live in urban areas; 31% live in mixed rural/urban areas; and 11% live in rural areas.

      • 29% of North Carolina’s homeless are persons in families and 14% are chronically homeless.

        • In 2007, NC’s unemployment rate was 4.7% and the number of North Carolinians living below the poverty level was 14%.

    • Affordable housing is central to preventing homelessness, but housing costs are continuing to eat up more and more of families’ incomes. According to Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) data collected for its State of the Cities Report, in 2000 there were 959,168 renting households in North Carolina and 3,131,426 home-owning households.

      • Of the renters, 31% reported a housing cost burden that ate up more than 30% of their annual income. 15% reported housing costs that took more than 50% of their annual income.

      • Of the homeowners, 24% reported housing costs that were greater than 30% of their annual income and only 10% reported costs requiring more than 50% of their annual income.

    • The North Carolina Housing Coalition (http://www.nchousing.org) takes a look at HUD’s data and pulls out some interesting statistics on an easy to read flyer called, Housing Facts and Statistics in NC.

    Taking Action

    • On one night in January, Forsyth County homeless agencies’ workers, guided by the United Way of Forsyth County, take to the streets to count the number of homeless persons in Forsyth County who do not seek shelter. They combine this “Point in Time Count” with counts of their shelters’ clients. From 2009’s Point in Time Count, local officials learned (North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness):

      • 94 people in households with dependent children were seeking care at emergency or transitional shelters. 113 people in households with dependent children were living in permanent supportive housing. There were no unsheltered families.

      • 308 people in households without dependent children (singles, couples without children, unaccompanied youth) sought care at an emergency or transitional shelter. 63 people were unsheltered while 111 were living in permanent supportive housing.

      • 115 adults were categorized at chronically homeless. Of those homeless, only 3 were unsheltered; 112 sought assistance at an emergency or transitional shelter.

    • For its State of the Cities Report, HUD slices its data into areas smaller than states for further analysis. In 2000, HUD reported 33,648 renter households in Winston-Salem, and 42,560 home-owning households.

      • Of the renters, 32% reported a housing cost burden that ate up more than 30% of their annual income. 16% reported housing costs that took more than 50% of their annual income. Both are only slightly higher than the state of NC’s average.

      • Of the homeowners, 19% reported housing costs that were greater than 30% of their annual income and only 7% reported costs requiring more than 50% of their annual income, much better than the State’s average.

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