America's Homelessness Rate

Why Do Individuals Become Homeless?

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The scarcity of affordable housing throughout the country and the scope of housing aid programs are now the two main causes of the housing and homelessness crisis.

Nationwide, low-income renter families' earnings are significantly outweighed by the expense of renting accommodation. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (2022), a full-time worker must make an average of $25.82 per hour to afford a modest two-bedroom rental and $21.21 per hour to afford a one-bedroom. But the minimum salary in the country is merely $7.25!

Not only those making the minimum salary can afford housing. The median hourly income for customer service representatives ($17.75), nursing assistants ($14.57), maintenance and repair personnel ($20.76), home health aides ($14.15), retail employees ($14.03), and many other occupations is much less than the 2022 housing wage.

Lack of resources

Poverty and homelessness are closely related. Many times, those in poverty cannot afford to pay for their home, food, childcare, medical care, or education. When just part of these needs can be met by limited means, difficult decisions must be made. Frequently, housing is the expense that has to be reduced because it takes up a large amount of revenue. Being impoverished means that you are only a sickness, an accident, or a salary away from homelessness.

The national poverty rate in 2016, as reported by the US Census Bureau, was 12.7%. 40.6 million people lived in poverty. Even if the poverty rate has been gradually dropping since 2014, there are still a few reasons why poverty persists:

Absence of Work Opportunities In the present economy, jobs are hard to come by since unemployment rates are still high. People might still become impoverished even if they are able to obtain employment.

Decline in Available Public Assistance: Many families leaving welfare struggle to get housing, food, and medical care due to low wages, unstable employment, and benefit loss. This is one of the main causes of the rising rates of poverty and homelessness. Furthermore, the majority of states still lack a substitute for the outdated welfare system that would have allowed families and individuals to find work that elevates them above the poverty line and to support themselves in the event that employment is unavailable or impractical.

A few other significant variables that might lead to homelessness are as follows:

Absence of Affordable Health Care: A major sickness or disability may send a family or person into homelessness by causing them to lose their employment, exhaust their funds on medical expenses, and finally face eviction.

Domestic Violence: Poor and abused women are sometimes forced to choose between being in violent relationships and becoming homeless. Furthermore, according to a poll conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2005, domestic violence was cited as the main reason for homelessness in 50% of the communities examined.

Mental Illness: According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors (2005), 16% of homeless single adults have a serious and ongoing mental illness.

Addiction: There is a complicated and contentious link between addiction and homelessness. While many alcoholics and drug addicts never experience homelessness, there is little doubt that those who are impoverished and suffer from addictions are more likely to become homeless.