HUNGER & HOMELESSNESS SURVEY 2006
Below I have pasted a small part of the 2006 Survey of HUNGER & HOMELESSNESS. Please click onto the title of this post for the complete report. I have also put a permenant link to the survey under my profile to the right of the screen.
HOMELESSNESS
During the past year, requests for emergency shelter increased in the survey cities by an average of 9 percent, with 68 percent of the cities registering an increase. Requests for shelter by homeless families alone increased by 5 percent, with 59 percent of the cities reporting an increase.
An average of 23 percent of the requests for emergency shelter by homeless people overall and 29 percent of the requests by homeless families alone are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. In 86 percent of the cities, emergency shelters may have to turn away homeless families due to lack of resources; in 77 percent they may also have to turn away other homeless people.
People remain homeless an average of eight months in the survey cities. Thirty-two percent of the cities said that the length of time people were homeless increased during the last year.
In 55 percent of the cities, families may have to break up in order to be sheltered. In 54 percent of the cities families may have to spend their daytime hours outside of the shelter they use at night.
Mental illness and the lack of needed services lead the list of causes of homelessness identified by city officials. Other causes cited, in order of frequency, include lack of affordable housing, substance abuse and the lack of needed services, low-paying jobs, domestic violence, prisoner reentry,
unemployment, and poverty.
Officials estimate that, on average, single men comprise 51 percent of the homeless population,families with children 30 percent, single women 17 percent, and unaccompanied youth 2 percent.
The homeless population is estimated to be 42 percent African-American, 39 percent white, 13 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Native-American and 2 percent Asian. An average of 16 percent of homeless people is considered mentally ill; 26 percent are substance abusers. Thirteen percent are employed; nine percent are veterans.
The average percentage of homeless families headed by single parents in the survey cities is 71 percent; and, on average, children represent 24 percent of the entire population in emergency shelters in the cities. Eighty-seven percent of the survey cities say that there was an increase in homeless children in the emergency shelter system.
HOMELESSNESS
During the past year, requests for emergency shelter increased in the survey cities by an average of 9 percent, with 68 percent of the cities registering an increase. Requests for shelter by homeless families alone increased by 5 percent, with 59 percent of the cities reporting an increase.
An average of 23 percent of the requests for emergency shelter by homeless people overall and 29 percent of the requests by homeless families alone are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. In 86 percent of the cities, emergency shelters may have to turn away homeless families due to lack of resources; in 77 percent they may also have to turn away other homeless people.
People remain homeless an average of eight months in the survey cities. Thirty-two percent of the cities said that the length of time people were homeless increased during the last year.
In 55 percent of the cities, families may have to break up in order to be sheltered. In 54 percent of the cities families may have to spend their daytime hours outside of the shelter they use at night.
Mental illness and the lack of needed services lead the list of causes of homelessness identified by city officials. Other causes cited, in order of frequency, include lack of affordable housing, substance abuse and the lack of needed services, low-paying jobs, domestic violence, prisoner reentry,
unemployment, and poverty.
Officials estimate that, on average, single men comprise 51 percent of the homeless population,families with children 30 percent, single women 17 percent, and unaccompanied youth 2 percent.
The homeless population is estimated to be 42 percent African-American, 39 percent white, 13 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Native-American and 2 percent Asian. An average of 16 percent of homeless people is considered mentally ill; 26 percent are substance abusers. Thirteen percent are employed; nine percent are veterans.
The average percentage of homeless families headed by single parents in the survey cities is 71 percent; and, on average, children represent 24 percent of the entire population in emergency shelters in the cities. Eighty-seven percent of the survey cities say that there was an increase in homeless children in the emergency shelter system.
posted by Bob at Saturday, December 30, 2006
7 Comments:
MORE-
St. Paul: The senior population served by Second Harvest Heartland CSFP program has not changed but
food self statistics show that they are serving more seniors. Some food shelves have commented that they
are getting more requests from elderly on fixed incomes who cannot afford the overall increases in the
cost of living.
People are going hungry in Norfolk!
Norfolk: Occasionally, suppliers have insufficient resources to meet the demand.
The People Requesting Food Assistance
Across the survey cities it is estimated that 48 percent of those requesting emergency food assistance
were either children or their parents. In Boston, Louisville Metro, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and
Santa Monica two thirds or more of those requesting food assistance were members of families with
children.
Officials in the survey cities reported that 37 percent of adults requesting emergency food assistance
were employed. The percentage of employed adults requesting food assistance ranged from 64 percent in
Philadelphia, 60 percent in Nashville, 44 percent in Salt Lake City, 30 percent in Miami and 25 percent in
Boston and Cleveland.
I am told that property taxs may go up 8% in 2007.. with the tax hikes of 2006 elderly people will be looking at more than hunger.
The cost of living is increasing so fast that it is effecting low income people on a fixed income drastically.
****Emergency Food Assistance Requests by the Elderly******
The number of elderly persons requesting emergency food assistance increased in 73 percent of the
survey cities. The number remained the same in Boston, Portland and San Francisco. There was a
decrease in Des Moines, Kansas City and Miami.
Across the cities reporting increases, requests for emergency food assistance by elderly persons
increased by 18 percent. Increases ranged from 23 percent in Philadelphia, 22 percent in Los Angeles,
16 percent in Louisville Metro, 12 percent in St. Paul, 9 percent in Denver, 4 percent in Santa Monica, and
one percent in Seattle
Causes of Hunger
Officials in the survey cities say hunger is due to a number of factors, many of them are
interrelated. Those most frequently identified by the survey cities in response to the surveys openended
question are unemployment and other employment related problems, high housing costs,
poverty or lack of income, medical or health costs, substance abuse, utility costs, mental health
problems, transportation costs, and lack of education.
I have also been studying the homeless situation across America and Mn... The figures are on the rise and the highest are with children. How in the world can that make city officials really feel like what they are doing to these families is justified. A home with a torn screen is much more of what I would consider stable housing for these children than not knowing where they are going to sleep tonight... But then again city officials don't need to worry about that cause they all work together to cover each others asses! Gee then they wonder why crime is on the rise, do they really believe they can throw a family out on the street and the parents aren't gonna feel forced to commit a crime to provide for their family? What ever happen to love thy neighbor, the days where if your neighborbor was struggling and needed help everyone would get together and help them out? It has turned to a very selfish world, but a person should think about it because it could very well happen in your family as well... look at what Fletcher is going through with his son, if that doesn't show that it can happen in any family I don't know what does... All I ask is that you give each individual the respect and support that could result in a future of success for them and their families...
Give the New Year a chance at helping others you might be shocked at what a difference it would make...
Happy New Year to all...
Nancy
9-11-2001
I became homeless.
Me and my two cats had no where to go.
Out on the streets, with just the cloths on my back.
It was the most scary moment in my life, no where to go.
This is happening everyday to thousands of Families, how many single's become homeless every day?
You might be next.
I see if the city government can screw me out the door of my own home, they can and will do it to you.
www.billdahn.com
Bill Dahn
PS.
They take our homes and then sell it as a HUD home.
To a Small Time Developer, and he or she will re-sell it and make a hand full of money.
This money could, and should been ours.
HUD made money off my home at 256 W. Morton St. in St.Paul.MN.
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