What is homelessness like and how can you help? View this presentation to learn more about Austin's Mobile Loaves and Fishes and how you can help.

1. What is it like? mortality rates three times higher danger assault Harassment food jail Longer hospital visits How does it impact us? hunger is almost always there housing cuts the average costs of services in half permanent housing How does it happen? homeless families dignity Emergency shelter services seasonal jobs help end the cycle unhappy many earn less than $10,000 annually possessions average life expectancy ranges from 42 to 52 myths Are there solutions? hungry TODAY minimum wage hospitals clothing What can I do to help?

2. What is it like? homeless

3. hunger is almost always there homeless Nearly 100% of those in homeless situations report going hungry a portion of the time they are homeless http://writerinaredchair.blogspot.com/2009/05/300-new-homeless-people-in-austin.html

4. average life expectancy ranges from 42 to 52, instead of the national average of 78 homeless mortality rates are three times higher O’Connell, Jim, MD. Premature Mortality in Homeless Populations: A Review of the Literature Nashville: National Health Care for the Homeless Council, December 2005

5. MYTHS abound homeless People may say “they’re lazy”, “they’re happy that way”, or “they’re criminals”

6. FACT: 44% of the homeless worked last month homeless Most work at minimum wage or seasonal jobs that simply do not pay enough to afford housing at the fair-market rate http://writerinaredchair.blogspot.com/2009/05/300-new-homeless-people-in-austin.html

7. FACT: Violent crimes are committed more by non-homeless individuals homeless 12.8% of crimes committed by non-homeless were violent. By comparison, approximately 7.7% of crimes committed by homeless might be classified as violent. Austin Police Department, Research and Planning Unit, April, 2009

8. FACT: the homeless are anything but happy homeless Rates of robbery, assault, theft, and harassment are astonishing. Families and children lose their homes, rooms, possessions, neighborhoods, friends, schools, pets, security, identity, and self-esteem. http://writerinaredchair.blogspot.com/2009/05/300-new-homeless-people-in-austin.html

9. How does it happen? homeless

10. 13% of renter households in Austin homeless Earn less than $10,000 annually Comprehensive Housing Market Study, City of Austin – Neighborhood Housing & Community Development, BBC Research & Consulting, March 3, 2009

11. Only about 2,400 units and rental assistance vouchers are available homeless 19,300 households in Austin alone fall into the gap Comprehensive Housing Market Study, City of Austin – Neighborhood Housing & Community Development, BBC Research & Consulting, March 3, 2009

12. How does it impact us all? homeless

13. Emergency shelter often becomes permanent housing homeless An emergency shelter bed is approximately $8,067 more than the average annual cost of a federal housing subsidy Office of Policy Development and Research, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Evaluation of the Emergency Shelter Grants Program, Volume 1: Findings September 1994. p 91.

14. the increase in cost of providing public services to communities is tremendous homeless More time is spent in jail or prison—sometimes for crimes such as loitering. The cost to taxpayers is $14,480 per person, per year, primarily for overnight jail. Diamond, Pamela and Steven B. Schneed, Lives in the Shadows: Some of the Costs and Consequences of a "Non-System" of Care. Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 1991

15. Hospital visits last an average of four days longer homeless Homelessness is attributed to an extra cost of approximately $2,414 per hospitalization Salit S.A., Kuhn E.M., Hartz A.J., Vu J.M., Mosso A.L. Hospitalization costs associated with homelessness in New York City. New England Journal of Medicine 1998; 338: 1734-1740.

16. Are there solutions? homeless

17. Supportive housing shifts costs away from expensive emergency health and mental care homeless housing people who are homeless cuts the average costs of services they consume in half http://www.mainehousing.org/Documents/HousingReports/CostOfHomelessness.pdf

18. Homelessness is a harmful cycle, with chronic users of public resources including hospitals, courts, police and jails, costing $40,000 annually per individual homeless Housing First and Harm Reduction Strategies can help end the cycle in Travis County Solutions for Homeless Chronic Alcoholics in Austin, Produced by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) with financial support from Front Steps (managers of the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless), September, 2009

19. What can I do to help? homeless

20. Supportive housing and strategies to end homelessness are long term solutions that need your support homeless but, the homeless are hungry TODAY

21. you can donate time and money to help us help them now homeless Mobile Loaves and Fishes provides food, clothing, and dignity to our brothers and sisters in need.™

22. thanks to the hard work of our almost 10,000 volunteers, we served our 1 millionth meal in 2007 homeless We currently use 12 catering trucks on the city streets of Austin, San Antonio, New Orleans, Providence, and Nashville every night of the week, with one supply truck

23. With your help, we can turn homeless and hopeless into

24. hope

25. Mobile Loaves and Fishes Austin’s Miracles on Wheels For more information, or to make a donation, visit www.mlfnow.org