About Homelessness
A person is considered 'homeless' when he/she lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence and has a primary nighttime residency that is:
- a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations.
- an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized.
- a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
People become homeless for myriad reasons:
- Inability to afford rent
- Loss of employment
- Sudden illness
- Divorce
- Domestic violence
- Abrupt changes in domestic situations
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' 2003 census of homeless people counted more than 14,000 homeless people in this region, a 2% increase from 2002, and an 11% increase from 2001.
Children and Homelessness
One 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 aAffordable 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.