Welcome to my blog! Wow, it's been a month since I tapped-on these keys. I put away the Surface Tablet and I'm writing from my Desktop. This Computer was my late Stepdads. It's a bit older, Intel Pentium 7 Processor, but it can calculate my 1% targets!
Today I want to talk about a serious issue that affects many people in our country: homelessness. Homelessness is one of the most urgent and tragic crises that we face as a nation, and it has many causes and solutions that we need to understand and act on. What inspired me to write about this? I was gathering unwanted clothes to drop in one of those Bins for gathering Clothes. My Spouse suggested I give the one, hardly worn, Pull-Over to the, "Homeless Guy". It has been very cold and this particular Pull-Over appears to be warm.
I must expand on my observation and assessment. He is an obviously Homeless person that seemed to suddenly appear near our little Urban Development. He is often spotted walking on Hurffville-Cross Keys Rd or sitting beside our Wawa. A favorite Coffee Shop/Convenience Store/Deli adjacent to the Plaza with the others' favorite Coffee Shop, Dunkin Donuts. Both my Wife and I have given him food in the past and I am familiar with Wawa's policies. One that would seem to attract Homeless People, is that they will give someone water, from their Soda Machine, at no cost. I believe that loosely enforced by the Managers, the free water is supposed to be when the temperature is above 80.
So I've done some research, on the surface on the matter of Homelessness. According to the latest data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), there were about 582,462 people experiencing Homelessness in the U.S. on a given night in 2022. That's about 18 out of every 10,000 people, and it's an increase of about 2,000 people since 2020. Homelessness has been on the rise since 2017, experiencing an overall increase of 6 percent.
But who are these people, and where are they? Well, most of them (72 percent) are individual adults, but a significant share (28 percent) are people living in families with children. Homelessness also disproportionately impacts people of color. African American households make up 13% of the country’s population but represent 40% of people experiencing homelessness. And not all homeless people are living in shelters or transitional housing. In fact, about 40 percent of them are living unsheltered, meaning on the streets, in cars, in abandoned buildings, or in other places not meant for human habitation. I don't know where the Homeless Man we observe is living. He is Clearly Caucasian, and I would think Northern European decent, about my age. He doesn't beg, he just sits there beside the Wawa in the place allocated for Delivery Trucks.
So, what causes homelessness? There are many factors that can contribute to someone losing their home, but the main one is the lack of affordable housing. In the wealthiest nation on earth, there is a national shortage of 7 million rental homes affordable and available to America’s 11 million lowest-income households. For every 10 of the lowest income renters, there are fewer than 4 affordable homes available to them. And these renters often pay more than half of their limited incomes on rent, leaving little money for other basic needs like food, health care, or transportation. When they face an unexpected financial shock, like a job loss, a medical emergency, or an eviction, they may end up homeless. I am quite familiar with medical situations effecting our livelihood.
Other factors that can cause or worsen homelessness include chronic health conditions, mental illness, substance use disorder, domestic violence, and (right from the left) systemic inequality. I don't believe the latter is as pronounced as some suggest. These factors can make it harder for people to find or keep a stable job, access health care or social services, or escape abusive situations. They can also create barriers to accessing affordable housing or other forms of assistance.
But Homelessness is not inevitable. It is solvable. I identified proven solutions that can prevent and end Homelessness for many people. The primary solution is affordable and accessible homes, coupled with supportive services to help individuals address other challenges. To end Homelessness throughout the Country, our Nation must significantly expand investments to make homes affordable for people with the lowest incomes. Specifically, policymakers should:
- Preserve and build deeply affordable homes through programs like the National Housing Trust Fund.
- Expand Rental Assistance programs like Housing Choice Vouchers and Project-Based Rental Assistance to reach all eligible households.
- Increase funding for Homeless Assistance programs like Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grants that provide Emergency Shelter, Rapid Rehousing, Permanent Supportive Housing, and Prevention Services.
- Implement Housing First approaches that prioritize getting people into housing without preconditions or barriers.
- Provide supportive services like Case Management, Health Care, Mental Health Care, Substance use Treatment, Education, Employment, and Legal Aid to help people overcome their challenges and achieve stability.
- Address the root causes of Homelessness by expanding health care coverage, preventing evictions to those affected by Medically Induced Hardships, reducing racial disparities, and improving coordination among systems.
Examples of Homeless Reductions
Some states and cities have already taken steps to implement these solutions and have seen positive results. For example:
- Utah reduced chronic homelessness by 91 percent between 2005 and 2015 by implementing a Housing First model that provided permanent supportive housing to people with disabilities who had experienced long-term or repeated episodes of homelessness.
- Houston reduced overall homelessness by 54 percent between 2011 and 2019 by creating a coordinated system that streamlined access to housing and services for people experiencing homelessness.
- New York City prevented more than 200,000 evictions between 2014 and 2019 by providing free legal representation to low-income tenants facing eviction in housing court.
These examples show that homelessness can be reduced and even eliminated with the right policies and resources. But we need more action at the federal, state, and local levels to scale up these solutions and reach everyone in need. We also need more public awareness and compassion for people experiencing homelessness. They are not statistics or stereotypes. They are our fellow human beings who deserve dignity and respect.
That's all for today's post. I hope you learned something new and got inspired to take action. If you want to learn more about homelessness and how you can help, check out these resources:
- National Alliance to End Homelessness.
- National Low Income Housing Coalition.
- U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness,
- National Coalition for the Homeless.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more posts on social issues that matter. Until next time: faith, hope, and love!
Michael Medeiros
