Homelessness

Facts About Homelessness

There are 34 million renters in the United States, and 22 percent of them earn "extremely low incomes," according to the 1999 American Housing Survey (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2001). More than 14 million Americans spend over half of their incomes on housing while the U.S. Department of Housing and Human Development estimates that this figure should be between 25 percent and 30 percent.

The homeless population is diverse: 22 percent of the homeless in urban areas work; 38 percent are families with children; 25 percent are children; 20 to 25 percent have a mentally illness; approximately 30 percent are drug or alcohol dependent; and 40 percent of homeless males are veterans (National Coalition for the Homeless, 1999).

According to the most recent Census Bureau data, 31.1 million people lived at or below the poverty line in 2000 and are at risk of homelessness.

With the national unemployment rate currently at 6.0 percent, recently unemployed Americans find themselves at risk of homelessness. Additionally, minimum wage earnings no longer lift families above the poverty line (U.S. Department of Labor, 2002).

Although 20 to 25 percent of homeless people suffer from mental illness, half of those individuals have co-occurring substance use disorders (National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness, 2001). More than 40 percent of homeless people qualify for disability benefits, but fewer than 11 percent receive them. Only 52 percent of families receive their entitled welfare benefits (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2002).

An August 2002 survey by the National Low Income Housing Coalition revealed that the majority of voters surveyed prioritized the creation of affordable housing over new tax cuts. Sixty-two percent were aware of a shortage of low-income housing in their communities, and 66 percent said that Congress needed to correct the problem. Of those individuals eligible for low-income housing, less than 30 percent receive it (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2002).