1. Causes of Homelessness

2. Overview There isn’t usually a single reason for someone becoming homeless There are over 650,000 homeless people in the US 42% are unsheltered (living on the streets)

3. Disability The prevalence of one or more disabilities among the homeless is at a higher rate than the general population Higher presence of co-occurring disabilities such as substance abuse and mental illness Rely solely on SSI for income – no housing market in the country is affordable with SSI as only income

4. Poverty There isn’t a state in the country where a household earning minimum wage can afford a 2 bedroom apartment In CA a household must earn $24/hr to afford a 2 bedroom Current unemployment 9.1% - highest since 1990

5. Criminal History More than 10% of those coming in and out of prisons and jail are homeless in the months before their incarceration. For those with mental illness, the rates are even higher—about 20% 49% of homeless adults have spent 5+ days in jail over their lifetimes

6. Domestic Violence In a national survey of homeless people, domestic violence was the second most frequently stated cause of homelessness for families Massachusetts study found 92% of homeless women had experienced severe physical or sexual assault, 63% had been victims of violence by an intimate partner

7. Natural Disaster Hurricane Katrina resulted in an increase of almost 6,000 homeless in New Orleans 200,000 homes were destroyed by Katrina Rents increased post-Katrina by 3x Almost 30,000 estimated to be homeless after the Fargo, ND floods in 2009