Homelessness 101
Homelessness is a complex situation. In the United States, approximately 650,000 people experience homelessness on any given night, and as many as 2.5 to 3 million people experience homelessness over the course of a year. Currently, there is no nationally agreed upon definition of "homelessness," however, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines an individual as experiencing homelessness when they:
- Reside:
- in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, or on the street
- in an emergency shelter, transitional or supportive housing
- Lack the resources and/or support networks needed to obtain housing and:
- are being evicted within a week from a private dwelling unit and no subsequent residence has been identified
- are being discharged within a week from an institution, such as a hospital, mental health or substance abuse treatment facility or a jail/prison, in which the person has been a resident for more than 30 consecutive days
- are fleeing a domestic violence housing situation and no subsequent residence has been identified
Individuals and families enduring homelessness are diverse in their backgrounds and demographics, and the factors that led them to become homeless are equally as diverse. The most significant causes of homelessness are unemployment or underemployment, high housing costs or an unexpected event such as the loss of a job, injury, illness or the loss of a spouse. Research has shown that with regards to all of these factors, there are three different patterns of usage of the homeless service delivery system:
- Episodic: An individual is considered to experiencing episodic homelessness when they are having recurrent problems with housing. Often these individuals have seasonal/minimum wage income or sporadic domestic situations that affect stable housing.
- Situational: An individual is considered to be experiencing situational homelessness when they are facing some sort of housing, health care, financial, or job loss crisis. When homeless services are provided, these individuals usually are able to locate and obtain another stable housing situation.
- Chronic: An individual is considered to be experiencing chronic homelessness when they have a disabling condition and have been continuously homeless for a year or more or have had at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years.
In Guilford County, over the course of a year over 4,500 individuals experience homelessness with multiples of this number on the verge of homelessness. Other major concerns for Guilford County include:
- Guilford County has the Nation's fourth-highest rise in poverty and the South's second-highest increase in unemployment.
- The costs to the community are $600 to $3,500 a month per individual or family experiencing homelessness.
- 10 to 15 percent of people experiencing homeless, are considered chronically homeless, an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.
- Those experiencing chronic homelessness use 50 percent or more of all emergency shelter resources in their communities.
- Most people who become homeless in our community are assisted by a "Continuum of Care," which moves them from emergency shelter through transitional housing to permanent housing. For individuals that homelessness has become a chronic condition the system isn't working.
