| I'm glad you stopped by. Homelessness is not a cheerful topic, but it is one that affects so many people that it should be an important issue to all of us. With America being such a wealthy nation, able to put people in space, why do so many men, women and children still have No Place To Call Home? |
| We have to wonder, how can it be that in this time of unprecedented prosperity for many in the United States, between 600,000 and 700,000 Americans are homeless on any given night? Two trends are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the past 15 - 20 years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty. While the last few years have seen growth in real wages at all levels, these increases have not been enough to counteract a long pattern of stagnant and declining wages. Low-wage workers have been particularly hard hit by the wage trends. Declining wages, in turn, have put housing out of reach for many workers: in every state, more than the minimum wage is required to afford a one or two bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent. The connection between impoverished workers and homelessness can be seen in homeless shelters, many of which house significant numbers of full-time wage earners. A survey of 30 U.S. cities found that almost one in five homeless persons is employed. Thus, for many Americans, work provides no escape from poverty. |
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| Early findings suggest that although more families are moving from welfare to work, many of them are fairing poorly due to low wages and inadequate work supports. Only a small fraction of welfare recipients' new jobs pay above-poverty wages; most of the new jobs pay far below the poverty line. As a result of loss of benefits, low wages, and unstable employment, many families leaving welfare struggle to get medical care, food, and housing. Many lose health insurance, despite continued Medicaid eligibility. Children who are homeless grow up in the worst environment imaginable. They often live in unsafe or unhealthful conditions. And they witness some of life's harshest realities, such as violence, drug dealing and other crimes. For these kids, there are no support systems that most children have. In short, they are denied the type of childhood most people take for granted. Not having these resources can permantly damage a child, both physically and emotionally. Physically, homeless kids generally suffer from more medical problems than other children. Because their living conditions are often so unstable, they rarely get a good night's sleep. And because they do not eat regular, nutritious meals, they are often poorly nourished. Emotionally, homeless children may not get the care they need. Parents are often under too much stress to provide enought attention to their kids. As a result, these children may develop behavioral problems. They are often listless and depressed or aggressive and disruptive. While most homeless children live in families who have lost their home, many are living on the streets because they have run away from home. Their family life was so unbearable that they felt they had to escape. According to Covenant House, about one million teenagers run away every year. About 60,000 of them remain on the streets. Since shelters will generally not house runaways, there are very few places to live. Receiving an education is sometimes impossible for a homeless kid. Not having a stable home prevents children from attending school regularly. But many homeless kids do well in school. Unfortunately, many of them also drop out early. Their families are in need, so they leave school to find work. They usually take low-paying jobs that offer no career advancement. These students may have sacrificed promising futures. With all of these factors at work, it is no surprise that there is a high dropout rate among homelesss families. |
| The declining value and availability of public assistance is another source of increasing poverty and homelessness. Current Temporary Assistance to Needy Families benefits and Food Stamps combined are below the poverty level in every state. Thus, contrary to popular opinion, welfare does not provide relief from poverty. Welfare caseloads have dropped sharply since the passage and emplementation of welfare reform legislation. However, declining welfare roles simply mean that fewer people are receiving benefits-- not that they are employed or doing better financially. |
| Disabled people, too, must struggle to obtain and maintain stable housing. On a national average, a person receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits has to spend 69% of their monthly income to rent a one-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent. Most states have not replaced the old welfare system with an alternative that enables families and individuals to obtain above poverty employment and to sustain themselves when work is not available or possible. A lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance programs have contributed to the current housing crisis and to homelessness. The gap between the number of affordable housing units and the number of people needing them has created a housing crisis for poor people. Over the years, despite an improving economy, the affordable housing gap has grown by one million. Recently, the strong economy has caused rents to soar, putting housing out of reach for the poorest Americans. Housing assistance can make the difference between stable housing, precarious housing, or no housing at all. For families and individuals struggling to pay the rent, a serious illness or disability can start a downward spiral into homelessness, beginning with a lost job, depletion of savings to pay for care, and eventual eviction. Battered women who live in poverty are often forced to choose between abusive relationships and homelessness. Domestic violence is a primary cause of homelessness. The relationship between addiction and homelessness is complex and controversial. While rates of alcohol and drug abuse are disproportionately higher among the homeless population, the increase in homelessness over the past two decades cannot be explained by addiction alone. Many people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs never become homeless, but people who are poor and addicted are clearly at increased risk of homelessness. |
| Homelessness results from a complex set of circumstances which require people to choose between food, shelter, and other basic needs. For both hunger and homelessness, the outlook is not bright. Only a concerted effort to ensure jobs that pay a living wage, adequate support for those who cannot work, affordable housing, and access to health care will bring an end to homelessness. But solutions are at hand. If fully utilized by those who are eligible, and aided by aggressive outreach efforts, food stamps could help eliminate hunger. Once housing assistance and needed services like health care, education, and job training are in place, the picture of homelessness can change dramatically. So far, the determination to make such services widely availabe at all levels- local, state, and federal- and the willingness of Congress to provide funds sufficient to create needed levels of subsidized housing, have been lacking. |
| He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:17 |
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| WELCOME |