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Spotlight On...
Homelessness Falls, At-Risk Population Remains High
Washington, DC - The number of people who are at risk of homelessness has failed to decline during the recovery from the Great Recession. This is the case even though the rate of homelessness fell from 20 to 19 homeless persons per 10,000 people, and unemployment decreased in nearly every state. That's according to The State of Homelessness in America 2014, the fourth in a series of reports from the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
The report examines national and state trends in homelessness between 2012 and 2013, at-risk populations between 2011 and 2012, and the number of beds available for people experiencing homelessness in 2012 and 2013.
- The rate of homelessness in individual states ranged from 106 in Washington, DC to 8 in Mississippi. Veteran homelessness fell from 29 to 27 homeless veterans per 10,000 veterans in the general population.
- The growth of populations at risk of homelessness stopped increasing at paces seen in recent years, but about 6.6 million people were paying most of their income on housing and 7.5 million were living with family and friends.
- On a given night, there are about 184,000 more homeless persons than beds available to assist them.
"Even though the economy is still tough for the poorest Americans, homelessness has gone down," said Steve Berg, the Alliance's Vice President for Programs and Policy. "That's testament to smart investments in proven, housing-centered solutions, by the nation, states, and localities. If we build on that momentum we can accomplish something truly remarkable; but if the investment stops, homelessness will get worse quickly."
For a look at the full report, including national and state trends, downloadable graphics for use in publication, visit the Alliance website. |
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