Homelessness increasing, Government aid declining

1
Homelessness increasing, Government aid declining

• Skye AkinsSection 608

2
Homeless
There are people nationwide who are chronically
homeless, living on the streets, and funneling in
and out of emergency rooms, psychiatric
facilities and jails.
3
Illegal to be homeless

• Cities have made it illegal to sit, sleep or
  place personal belongings in a public space.
• Police departments make aggressive sweeps of
  areas known to be populated by the homeless
• In 2002, 41 of cities surveyed prohibit sitting
  or lying in certain public places.

4
National Estimate of homelessness

• Between 23 40 are Veterans
• 10-20 of are chronically homeless
• 9 are episodically homeless
• Single men constitute about 60 of the homeless
  population
• Families constitute about one third of all
  homeless and are the fastest-growing group of
  homeless

5
Estimated Homeless Chart
6
The Problem
Hunger and homelessness is increasing and the
funding is declining. Shelters are forced to turn
homeless people way. Charitable organizations can
not maintain this burden alone.
7
Where some of the money is going

• President Bush released a budget that cut
  low-income assistance.
• Approximate total cost of war 342 billion.

Cut Funding for the homeless! We need more money
for the war in Iraq
8
Funding Cuts

• A 26 cut in funding for the Apostles House in
  Newark, New Jersey forced the shelter to reduce
  the number of people served.
• Funding cuts at the Salvation ArmyHarbor Light
  in Portland, Oregon forced the closure of a
  shelter for homeless women.
• The Administrations proposals to cut funding for
  the Food Stamp Program by 1.1 billion, public
  housing by 564 million, and the Community
  Development Block Grant by nearly 2 billion will
  exacerbate hunger and homelessness.

9
Commondreams.org February 15, 2006. Hunger and
Homelessness Rising, Government Aid Declining.
November 14, 2006. http//www.commondreams.org/new
s2005/0215-07.htm Msnbc.msn.com. January 14,
2006. Groups survey 20 meanest cities for
homeless Advocates say cities increasingly
criminalize homeless people. November 14, 2006.
http//www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10823343/ National
Alliance to End Homelessness. November 14, 2006.
http//www.endhomelessness.org/section/policy/focu
sareas/veterans National Alliance to End
Homelessness. FAQs. November 14, 2006.
http//www.naeh.org/section/aboutus/faq Homeless
ness in America. Preventing Homelessness in
America. November 14, 2006. http//www.solutionsfo
ramerica.org/thrivingneigh/homelessness.html Natio
nal Alliance to End Homelessness. November 14,
2006. Opening the back door. http//www.endhomeles
sness.org/section/tools/tenyearplan/backdoor