Brown at 50: Still Separate and Unequal, Part 3

[See the Introduction to this series.]

HOMELESSNESS

As my friend and hero Liz Theoharis says, it is NOT NECESSARY that there not be enough housing for all people.

The US Conference of Mayors (admittedly in conjunction with Sodexho USA) has issued its annual report on hunger and homelessness for 2003. An important methodolgical note is in order. The report is based on the official self-reporting of housing authorities of 25 cities, only 15 of which are among the 50 largest cities in the United States. Significantly absent are New York, Houston, San Diego, and Dallas - half of the 10 largest cities and all with one-quarter to one-half people of color; as well as over half the cities with more than 500,000, all of which have are at least one-quarter people of color. Nevertheless, their findings are hard to realize:

HUNGER

• Officials in the survey cities estimate that during the past year requests for emergency food assistance increased by an average of 17 percent, with 88 percent of the cities registering an increase. Requests for food assistance by families with children increased by an average of 18 percent. Requests for emergency food assistance by elderly persons increased by an average of 13 percent during the last year, with 73 percent of the cities reporting an increase.
  
• On average, 14 percent of the requests for emergency food assistance are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. For families alone, 15 percent of the requests for assistance are estimated to have gone unmet. In 56 percent of the cities, emergency food assistance facilities may have to turn away people in need due to lack of resources.
  
• Fifty-nine percent of the people requesting emergency food assistance were members of families - children and their parents. Thirty-nine percent of the adults requesting food assistance were employed.
  
• In 100 percent of the cities, emergency food assistance facilities were relied on by families and individuals both in emergencies and as a steady source of food over long periods of time.

EMERGENCY SHELTER

• During the past year requests for emergency shelter increased in the survey cities by an average of 13 percent, with 80 percent of the cities registering an increase. Requests for shelter by homeless families alone increased by 15 percent, with 88 percent of the cities reporting an increase.
  
• An average of 30 percent of the requests for emergency shelter by homeless people overall and 33 percent of the requests by homeless families alone are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. In 84 percent of the cities, emergency shelters may have to turn away homeless families due to lack of resources; in 72 percent they may also have to turn away other homeless people.
  
• People remain homeless an average of 5 months in the survey cities. Sixty percent of the cities said that the length of time people are homeless increased during the last year.
  
• Officials estimate that, on average, single men comprise 41 percent of the homeless population, families with children 40 percent, single women 14 percent and unaccompanied youth five percent. The homeless population is estimated to be 49 percent African-American [compared to 12%-13% of the total US population], 35 percent white [compared to 68%-80% of total US population], 13 percent Hispanic, two percent Native American and one percent Asian. An average of 23 percent of homeless people in the cities are considered mentally ill; 30 percent are substance abusers; 17 percent are employed; and 10 percent are veterans.
  
• In 60 percent of the cities, families may have to break up in order to be sheltered. In 48 percent of the cities families may have to spend their daytime hours outside of the shelter they use at night.

HOMELESSNESS

• Requests for assisted housing by low-income families and individuals increased in 83 percent of the cities during the last year. Thirty-three percent of eligible low-income households are currently served by assisted housing programs. City officials estimate that low-income households spend an average of 46 percent of their income on housing.
  
• Applicants must wait an average of 24 months for public housing in the survey cities. The wait for Section 8 Certificates is 26 months, for Section 8 Vouchers, 27 months. Forty-eight percent of the cities have stopped accepting applications for at least one assisted housing program due to the excessive length of the waiting list.

Another source of data is the US Census Bureau, which attempted in 2000 to gain some sense of the scale of people experiencing homelessness, by attempting an estimate of those living in emergency and transitional shelter (pdf). This data is also likewise troubling:

• While some 68% of the US population is white (excluding Hispanic/Latino), only 34% of people in emergency and transitional shelters is white. 40% of people in emergency/transitional shelters are black, compared to only 12% of the total US population. And although only 14% of the total US population identifies as Hispanic/Latino, 20% of those in emergency/transitional shelter identify as such.
  
• Among whites in shelters, 18% are children and youth (under 18 years), but a whopping 28% of blacks and 34% of Hispanics/Latinos in shelters are children and youth.

In addition to these sources, the National Coalition for the Homeless, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, and the University of the Poor (educational arm of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign) have further data and background about homelessness, as well as other resources and ways to be involved in the fight against the lie that there's no way to end homelessness.