Homelessness

Presented by Chris

Definition

People who are homeless are most often unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence."

Definition (cont’d)

The term homeless may also include people whose primary night-time residence is in a homeless shelter, a warming center, a domestic violence shelter, cardboard boxes or other housing situation including public and private places.

Reasons for Being Homeless

The top three reasons for people in families are the following:

- lack of affordable housing

- poverty

- unemployment

Reasons for Being Homeless

The top three reasons for singles are the following:

- substance abuse

- mental illness

- lack of affordable housing

Homelessness in America

In America, the states with the highest amount of homeless people are the following:

- Alaska

- California

- Colorado

- Hawaii

- Idaho

Worldwide Population

An estimated 100 million people worldwide were homeless in 2005.

In western countries, the large majority of homeless are men (75-80%).

Population in America

In the US, 40% of the youth are homeless.

One out of 50 children in America are homeless.

That estimates to about 1.5 billion children in the us.

Who Is Helping?

Most countries provide a variety of services to assist homeless people.

They often provide food, shelter and clothing and may be organized and run by community organizations (often with the help of volunteers) or by government departments.

These programs may be supported by government, charities, churches and individual donors.

How Can You Help?

You can find several ways to help by visiting the link.

nationalhomeless.org