184. Foreclosures “Bail Out” Homeless

 

 

 (Max Rameau stands in front of foreclosed property:Source AP)

 

 

At the heart of the issue of homelessness is the scarity of resources available to help the growing numbers of homeless Americans.  The homeless population in America has never been as diverse as it is in our current time.  Due to the recent economic climate we are seeing an unprecedented rise in homelessness that includes a diverse group of veterans, the middle class,women& children and people who are employed but who cannot afford housing. The causes behind each story of homelessness  is varied but all our homeless citizens share one common theme: they face grim prospects for finding shelter and supportive services on a daily basis during the current economic recession.

Where do people go when they loose their homes or are unable to pay for rent? A survey by the National Coalition for The Homeless shows that shelters for the homeless only provide shelter for less than 40% of people in need of basic services.  Viewed another way…on any given night only 4 out of 10 people without a place to call home  will gain entrance to community shelters that  provide a heated space, safety from the streets and a basic meal.  As the numbers of our homeless citizens continue to rise due to the economic trends , emergency & transition shelters continues to fall behind needs.

 

 

Where Do People Go When They Loose Their Home: Source

California		Florida	Kentucky	Minnesota	Texas
Family/friends	23%	29%	38%	38%	16%
Emergency shelter	15%	25%	19%	29%	16%
Transition shelter	16%	12%	0%	8%	5%
On the streets	16%	17%	13%	17%	16%
Rental home	18%	13%	25%	4%	5%
Don’t know	3%	0%	0%	4%	37%
Other	9%	4%	6%	0%	5%
Source: National Coalition for the Homeless e-mail survey of 117 local and state homeless coalitions conducted Jan. 22-March 15. Note: May not equal 100% due to rounding.