Facts about Homelessness in the U.S.

The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty states that approximately 3.5 million people in the United States, 1.35 million of them children (39%), are likely to experience homelessness in a given year (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2007). It is estimated that between 23 and 40 percent of homeless adults are veterans.

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, two trends are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness in America over the past 20-25 years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty. Persons living in poverty are most at risk of becoming homeless. In the United States, homelessness is an undeniable reality that impacts people of all ages, ethnicities, and life circumstances.

Many factors can contribute to a person becoming homeless. These factors include (but are not limited to):
• Poverty
• Lack of affordable housing
• Job loss
• Lack of health care
• Mental illness
• Substance abuse
• Domestic violence

The National Coalition for the Homeless publishes a number of factsheets on various aspects of homelessness. Each sheet summarizes facts and issues and contains a list of recommended reading for further research. Click here to learn more.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness produces materials designed for school aged children to educate them about the causes and solutions to homelessness and provide opportunities for young people to become a part of the solution. Click here to check out these information sheets for students ages 5 to 18.

"Last month, the Obama administration released a plan designed to end homelessness in 10 years. The goal reflects new optimism among academics and advocates that homelessness is not an intractable feature of urban life, as it has sometimes seemed, but a problem that can be solved. This belief is fueled by recent research debunking a number of long-standing myths about homelessness in America -- and showing that many of our old policies were unwittingly making the problem worse." By Dennis Culhane

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