About Homelessness
- Homelessness Defined
- Homelessness: The Fact
- Children and Homelessness
- Causes of Homelessness
- Working to End Homelessness
Homelessness Defined
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) uses the following definition from the Stewart B. McKinney Act of 1987:
The term “homeless” or “homeless individual or homeless person” is defined as:
- (1) An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and
- (2) An individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is one of the following:
- A) Supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations
- B) An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals Intended to be institutionalized
- C) A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, regular sleeping accommodations for human beings.
Homelessness is one of our nation’s most misunderstood and vexing social problems. In January 2005, according to the most recent data available, an estimated 744,313 people experienced homelessness. Homelessness does not discriminate. Families with children, single adults, teenagers, and elderly individuals of all races struggle with the devastating effects of homelessness. Homelessness exists across the country, in small rural towns, suburban neighborhoods, and large metropolises. The primary cause of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing. Over 5 million low-income households have serious housing problems due to high housing costs, substandard housing conditions, or both. While the problem of homelessness seems daunting, we can end homelessness in our nation. (http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/1074)
Doorways does not have to prescribe to any federal definitions of homelessness. Doorways serves those in worse-case housing situations, who are at-risk of becoming homeless, and those without a permanent, fixed address; in addition to those who are captured under traditional definitions of homelessness. People who are doubled-up and living in overcrowded apartments and homes are living in unsafe housing conditions and also place the lease holder in risk of eviction for allowing additional tenants into the unit without approval. These individuals and families are in worse case housing situations and can be eligible for Doorways services.
Homelessness: The Facts
- Every year 600,000 families with 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the United States, making up about 50 percent of the homeless population over the course of the year. (http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/1525, February 2007)
- Domestic violence is the immediate cause of homelessness for many women and children. In November 2006, over 22,000 victims of domestic violence—12,000 children and 10,000 adults—received housing services from 1,243 domestic violence service providers. One study in Massachusetts found that 92 percent of homeless women had experienced severe physical or sexual assault at some point in their life, 63 percent had been victims of violence by an intimate partner, and 32 percent had been assaulted by their current or most recent partner. (http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/1647,June 2007)
- The number of households that are paying over 50 percent of their income toward housing, (or are severely cost burdened according to HUD’s definition of affordable housing), is estimated to be 15.8 million. Further, 5.2 million households are considered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to be living in “worst case housing” conditions, meaning they spend 50 percent of their income on rent and earn only 50 percent of the area median income or live in severely substandard housing. (http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/1658, September 2007)
- Youth homelessness is disturbingly common. Although the prevalence of youth homelessness is difficult to measure, researchers estimate that about 5 to 7.7 percent of youth experience homelessness each year. The same factors that contribute to adult homelessness, such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, low education levels, unemployment, mental health, and substance abuse, can lead to homelessness among youth. (http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/1659, June 2007)
For more facts on homelessness, please click here.
Children and Homelessness
On any given night, 1.2 million children are homeless. They live with or without their families, in shelters, cars, and abandoned buildings.
Families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population, accounting for almost 40% of the nation's homeless. Lack of affordable housing is a primary cause of homelessness in families; often one or both parents are working, but not making a livable wage. Additionally, events such as illness, unemployment, accidents and violence limit the ability to secure stable housing and affordable housing.
Consider these facts:
- Homeless children are often in fair to poor health. They are 4 times more likely to have asthma and low birth weight, and need special care immediately after birth, as compared to children who are not homeless.
- Because of the disruption and uncertainties in their lives, homeless children often struggle to do well in school or stay in school.
- Children who grow up on the streets are likely to repeat the lifestyle with their own children.
Causes of Homelessness
Although there are many reasons why homelessness is such a pervasive problem in the United States, below are just a few of the reasons why Doorways services are so vital to our community.
Lack of Affordable Housing
The economic expansion of the 1990s obscured certain trends and statistics that point to an increased, not decreased, need for affordable housing. The generally accepted definition of affordability is for a household to pay no more than 30 percent of its annual income on housing. Families who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing are considered cost burdened and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care. An estimated 12 million renter and homeowner households now pay more than 50 percent of their annual incomes for housing, and a family with one full-time worker earning the minimum wage cannot afford the local fair-market rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States. The lack of affordable housing is a significant hardship for low-income households preventing them from meeting their other basic needs, such as nutrition and healthcare, or saving for their future and that of their families.
For more information on affordable housing in Arlington click here.
A Living Wage versus a Minimum Wage
The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $5.85 per hour effective July 24, 2007. The federal minimum wage provisions are contained in the Fair Labor Standards. Many states also have minimum wage laws. In cases where an employee is subject to both the state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages.
Previous Federal Minimum Wage: $5.15
- New Federal Minimum Wage:
- $5.85 - July 24th, 2007 (VA Wage)
- $6.55 - July 24th, 2008
- $7.25 - July 24th, 2009
Many times the minimum wage puts people, both singles and adults with children below the poverty line. On the other hand, a living wage is the level of income sufficient to allow workers to support their families without dependence upon outside (public) assistance.
A more narrow definition suggests that it is the income level necessary to pull a family of four above the poverty threshold, adjusted for local economic variables, with a range of $7.60 to $12.00 per hour.
The “Poverty Line”
The poverty guidelines are a version of the federal poverty measure. They are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use for administrative purposes — for instance, determining financial eligibility for certain federal programs. For a family of 4 the poverty line is $21,200 based on the 2008 Poverty Guidelines
How does a minimum wage impact the poverty line?
40 hours a week x 52 weeks in a year = 2080 hours a year x 5.85 = $12,168
This is only enough to raise you above the poverty guideline if you have no children—and this does not include vacation!
Living Wage Stats: To raise a family of four to the poverty line ($21,200)
- $10.19 (40 hrs/week, 2080 hours, no vacation)
- $10.39 (40 hrs/week, 2040 hours, 1 week unpaid vacation)
- $10.60 (40 hrs/week, 2000 hours, 2 weeks unpaid vacation)
- $11.65 (35 hrs/week, 1820 hours, no vacation)
- $11.88 (35 hrs/week, 1785 hours, 1 week unpaid vacation)
- $12.11 (35 hrs/week, 1750 hours, 2 weeks unpaid vacation)
These figures also do not account for sick leave someone may take for themselves or for a child.
- To bring a family of four to a more comfortable $32,185—(incidentally this amount is considerably lower than Arlington’s designation of “very low income” for a family of four:
- $15.47(40 hrs/week, 2080 hours, no vacation)
- $15.78 (40 hrs/week, 2040 hours, 1 week unpaid vacation)
- $17.68 (35 hrs/week, 1820 hours, no vacation)
- $18.03 (35 hrs/week, 1785 hours, 1 week unpaid vacation)
Working to End Homelessness: Community Advocacy
By enlisting a holistic approach to ending homelessness Doorways fills the gap between county assistance and homelessness so that women and families in Arlington have the chance to lead a life of self-sufficiency. Doorways provides safe shelter and support services to assist families’ transitioning out of homelessness. In addition to our services, Doorways for Women and Families works closely with community partners to ensure that homelessness is addressed as a community issue. Many local, state, and national initiatives make this possible by providing funding and resources.
The Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness
The goal of the 10 year Plan plan is that no individual or family lack access to decent, affordable housing. This website details how the County and its community partners are working to make that a reality.
Arlington’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness is based on the best practice strategy of “housing first,” which focuses on preventing homelessness, moving people who do become homeless into housing rapidly, and providing the wrap-around services necessary for them to maintain their housing.
It has become increasingly clear that limited affordable housing has resulted in longer stays at shelters and little movement into permanent housing. There are significant benefits to a community that directs its efforts to preventing evictions and placing homeless people directly into permanent housing rather than keeping them in shelters or living on the street. Most importantly research has shown that it is more cost effective to keep people housed.
For more information on the Ten Year Plan click here.
Doorways Freddie Mac Foundation Family Home
Doorways owns and operates the only shelter for Homeless families in Arlington. To learn more about our program and the Freddie Mac Foundation Family Home please click here.