What does homeless mean?
According
to the Stewart B. Mckinney Act, a person is
considered homeless who “lacks a fixed, regular,
and adequate night-time residence and has a
primary night time residency that is (A) a
supervised publicly or privately operated
shelter designed to provide temporary living
accommodations…(B) an institution that provides
a temporary residence for individuals intended
to be institutionalized, or (C) a public or
private place not designed for or ordinarily
used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for
human beings.” The term “homeless individual”
does not include any individual imprisoned or
otherwise detained pursuant to an Act of
Congress or a state law.
What causes homelessness?
Most homeless individuals are
not on the street by choice. Not all homeless
individuals are substance abusers or lazy. Many
homeless individuals are employed, but due to
the high cost of living, they cannot make ends
meet. Listed below are several causes of
homelessness.
Mental
Illness- Approximately 20-25% of the single
adult homeless population suffer from some form
of severe and persistent mental illness.
Illness- A serious
illness or disability can start a downward
spiral into homelessness, beginning with job
loss, depletion of savings to pay for
care/living expenses and eventual eviction.
Drug and Alcohol Related
Problems- Rates of drug and alcohol abuse
are high among the homeless population.
Job Loss- No income to
pay rent
Divorce- Divorce often
leaves one of the spouses homeless.
The primary cause of
homelessness is Lack of Affordable Housing ,
that very low-income people can afford. Over 5
million low-income families pay half or more of
their income in housing or live in severely
substandard conditions2 . Nowhere in the United
States does the minimum wage job provide enough
income for affordable housing.
During 2004, in the Savannah
Metropolitan Area, an extremely low income
household (earning 15,960, 30% of the Area
Median Income of 53,200) could afford monthly
rent of no more than $399, while the fair market
rent for a two bedroom unit was $657. A minimum
wage earner (5.15 per hour) could afford a
monthly rent of no more than $268. In the
Savannah Metropolitan Area a worker earning the
minimum wage would have to work 98 hours per
week in order to afford a two-bedroom unit at
the area’s fair market rent. Last year in the
Savannah Metropolitan area a worker would need
to earn at least $12.63 per hour in a full time
(40hrs) position to afford a two-bedroom unit at
the area’s fair market rent.
Fair Market Rents
|
One
Bedroom Unit |
Two
Bedroom Unit |
Three
Bedroom Unit |
Four
Bedroom Unit |
|
$590 monthly |
$657 monthly |
$872 monthly |
$900 monthly |
Income Needed to Afford Fair Market Rent
|
One
Bedroom Unit |
Two
Bedroom Unit |
Three
Bedroom Unit |
Four
Bedroom Unit |
|
$23,600 annually |
$26,280 annually |
$34,880 annually |
$36,000 annually |
Hourly Wage Needed to Afford Fair Market
Rent
|
One
Bedroom Unit |
Two
Bedroom Unit |
Three
Bedroom Unit |
Four
Bedroom Unit |
|
$11.35 per hour |
$12.63 per hour |
$16.77 per hour |
$17.31 per hour |
Hours needed to work @5.15 hourly to
afford Fair Market Rent
|
One
Bedroom Unit |
Two
Bedroom Unit |
Three
Bedroom Unit |
Four
Bedroom Unit |
|
88hrs |
98hrs |
130hrs |
134hrs |
What are the Challenges a
Homeless Person Faces?
Not only do homeless
individuals have to deal with the obvious issue
of being homeless, they have many other
obstacles to face. Listed below are just a few:
People experiencing homelessness face major
barriers to accessing, utilizing, and succeeding
in mainstream addiction and mental health
services, including Lack of income verification
documentation, difficulties in maintaining
schedules, and lack of transportation.
The death rate of homeless
people is almost four times greater than that of
the general population.
Harsh living conditions and
constant exposure to the elements leave a
homeless person more susceptible to acute
illness and traumatic injuries.
Many workers, living in
shelters, are employed by day labor agencies,
earning low pay, having no job security, no
health insurance, and less than sufficient work
protections.
