Beyond the Data

This information was just released from the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. See "Beyond the Data:COHHIO Issues Brief."

• Ohio families are increasingly vulnerable, facing growing unemployment and poverty.
• Ohio families entering shelters are presenting with decreasing monthly income and more complicated situations overall, including higher rates of underemployment and unemployment.
• Yet, Ohio communities are largely not reporting increases in family homelessness.

Cold Weather Emergency Program - Part 4

The threat of another winter storm reminds us of the purpose of the Cold Weather Emergency Program, namely that no one freezes to death in Mahoning county. That this is a present concern, note this from the National Coalition for the Homeless:

Seven hundred people experiencing or at risk of homelessness are killed from hypothermia annually in the United States. Forty-four percent of the nation’s homeless are unsheltered. From the urban streets of our populated cities to the remote back-country of rural America, hypothermia - or subnormal temperature in the body - remains a leading, critical and preventable cause of injury and death among those experiencing homelessness.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Janice, the most recent graduate of the Women’s Residence/Discipleship Program. She has completed the 1 year program at the Mission and is looking to move into her own apartment this month. Janice has made great progress and we are proud of her.

Point-in-Time Count - News Story

Follow this link to see the local coverage for the Mahoning Valley's efforts in the Ohio state-wide point-in-time count of homeless people in our community.

Point-in-Time Count

We are participating in the Statewide Point in Time Count on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 12:00 AM - 11:59PM. Beginning at midnight tonight, volunteers from many agencies will hit the streets, shelters, soup kitchens, bus terminal, and anywhere the homeless may congregate attempting to count unsheltered homeless people in our community. If you have any information to share or would like to help, please contact Erin Bishop, the coordinator of the Mahoning County Homeless Continuum of Care.

Who is Homeless?

DEMOGRAPHICS - Two trends are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the past 20-25 years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty.

AGE  - In 2003, children under the age of 18 accounted for 39% of the homeless population; 42% of these children were under the age of five (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2004).

GENDER - Most studies show that single homeless adults are more likely to be male than female. In 2007, a survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that of the population surveyed 35% of the homeless people who are members of households with children are male while 65% of these people are females. However, 67.5% of the single homeless population is male, and it is this single population that makes up 76% of the homeless populations surveyed (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2007).

FAMILIES - The number of homeless families with children has increased significantly over the past decade. Families with children are among the fastest growing segments of the homeless population.

ETHNICITY - In its 2006 survey of 25 cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayor found that the sheltered homeless population is estimated to be 42 percent African-American, 38 percent white, 20 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Native American and 2 percent Asian.

VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - 50% of the 24 cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005). Nationally, approximately half of all women and children experiencing homelessness are fleeing domestic violence.

VETERANS - Veterans are slightly over-represented among the homeless population compared to their prevalence in the overall population (11.2 percent) (U.S. Conference of Mayors 2008).

PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS - Persons with severe mental illness represented about 26 percent of all sheltered homeless persons (Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, 2008).

PERSONS SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION DISORDERS - While there is no generally accepted "magic number" with respect to the prevalence of addiction disorders among homeless adults, the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ number in 2005 was 30%. Among surveyed homeless people 38% have an alcohol problem, and 26% report problems with other drugs (National Health Care for the Homeless Council).

EMPLOYMENT - The U.S. Conference of Mayors' 2005 survey of 24 American cities found that 13% of the urban homeless population were employed (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005), though recent surveys by the U.S. Conference of Mayors have reported as high as 25%. In a number of cities not surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors - as well as in many states - the percentage is even higher (National Coalition for the Homeless, 1997). When asked to identify the three main causes of hunger in their city, 83 percent of cities cited poverty, 74 percent cited unemployment and 57 percent cited the high cost of housing.

IMPLICATIONS - As this fact sheet makes clear, people who become homeless do not fit one general description. However, people experiencing homelessness do have certain shared basic needs, including affordable housing, adequate incomes, and health care. Some homeless people may need additional services such as mental health or drug treatment in order to remain securely housed. All of these needs must be met to prevent and to end homelessness.

Information taken from the National Coalition for the Homeless Fact Sheet.

Remember Haiti

There has been some discussion in the media regarding the cause of the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12. One Christian leader attributes the cause to Divine judgment; a well-known actor lays the blame at the door of global climate change.

While we surely do not know why things like this happen to people already struggling in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, we do know that there is a desperate need for help. It is in times such as this that we see the best in our culture and in our people. The path to recovery will be slow and hard and will last long after the story has ceased to catch the attention of the viewers of the evening news. Remember Psalm 41:1; “Blessed is the one who remembers the poor.”

(Photo from online version of Boston Globe, REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)