hOMELESS fACTS/rESOURCES
Causes and Effects of Poverty
1. Low Wages & Unemployment
2. Poor Health / Hygiene or Lack of Healthcare
3. Mental or Physical Handicaps
4. Depression & Hopelessness
5. Lack of Hard & Soft Skills
6. Malnutrition & Food Insecurity
7. Child Abuse / Violence (Relational / Gangs)
8. Addiction to Drugs or Alcohol
9. Poor Housing & Neighborhoods
10. Poor Parenting Skills
11. Poor or Lack of Education
12. Tax Returns & the Tax Code
13. Lack of Budgeting Skills
14. The Status as Illegal Immigrant
15. Language Barriers
16. Laziness / Lack of Effort
17. Lack of Positive Role Models or Support Systems
18. Incarceration
19. Do not understand Middle Class Hidden Rules
20. Discrimination: Racism, Classism, Sexism, Ageism, Ableism, etc.
21. Unfortunate Circumstances: Fire, Natural Disaster, Divorce, Injury, Death of Family Member, etc.
22. Other
23. Food is the most flexible part of the budget and most often is foregone when money is tight. There are many things, which can lead to or intensify malnutrition.
a. Lack of subsidized housing
b. Less generous food stamps
c. High cost of high nutrition baby formula
d. Lack of fresh fruits and veggies in inner city stores
e. All-day day care centers do not serve decent meals or snacks
f. If could not afford varied food for kids with allergies
g. New immigrants were not confused by junk food advertising
h. Mothers could breast feed instead of work
i. If children of working parents were not passed among multiple caregivers
j. If parents knew to sit youngsters down and calmly feed them
k. If there was less depression at the bottom of the economy
l. No place for the child to sit and eat
m. Parents fail to follow instructions or understand nutrition
n. Finances are one of the largest barriers to food security
o. Malfunctioning refrigerators
p. Crammed into the shared apartments where people steal food
q. Government bureaucracy is overwhelming and they do not get or do not know the service to which they are entitled
r. Lack of consistency (with regard to feeding habits or rituals)
24. These are the negative results of malnutrition
a. Poor brain development
b. Stunted physical growth
c. Decreases immune system
d. Health and behavior effects are present before the growth effects are evident
e. Hunger pains disrupt the ability to concentrate in school
f. Lethargic
g. Lightheaded
h. Lack on focus on concentration
i. Anxiety
j. Depression
k. Social Problems
25. Doctors can have a hard time helping patients in poverty because many barriers exists.
a. Language
b. SES, Class
c. Race
d. Lack of education
e. Culture / middle class values
f. Doctors are white, educated, in positions of power
g. Folklore of white doctors experimenting on black patients
h. Patients may not be able to purchase meds, come back for follow-up visits or consistently implement treatment suggestions
i. Fear
26. All of these factors contribute can create a cycle of poverty where the child is at risk to poor health, slow physical and mental development, and poor school performance or decreases ability level, which lead to future poverty. Other risk factors include: poverty, economic distress, violence in the environment, chronic illness, family stress, toxins in the environment
a. Kids who live in highly stressed environments can have: Developmental and behavioral problems, Lower IQ, Poor speech
development, Poor emotional adjustment, & Increased school problems
b. Mental retardation is caused by: abuse, malnutrition, genetic defects, dysfunctional caregiver, poisoning by alcohol, drugs,
or lead
c. Poor housing can contribute to illness: Poor ventilation, exposed wiring, overcrowding, heat which does not work, exposure
to allergens (mold, dust mites, roaches), asthma,
27. These are protective factors, which can help overcome the above issues: Good health, nice easy going temperament, good looking, economically secure, stable family, at least one adult who is madly in love with you, neighborhood that provides opportunities and support
2. Poor Health / Hygiene or Lack of Healthcare
3. Mental or Physical Handicaps
4. Depression & Hopelessness
5. Lack of Hard & Soft Skills
6. Malnutrition & Food Insecurity
7. Child Abuse / Violence (Relational / Gangs)
8. Addiction to Drugs or Alcohol
9. Poor Housing & Neighborhoods
10. Poor Parenting Skills
11. Poor or Lack of Education
12. Tax Returns & the Tax Code
13. Lack of Budgeting Skills
14. The Status as Illegal Immigrant
15. Language Barriers
16. Laziness / Lack of Effort
17. Lack of Positive Role Models or Support Systems
18. Incarceration
19. Do not understand Middle Class Hidden Rules
20. Discrimination: Racism, Classism, Sexism, Ageism, Ableism, etc.
21. Unfortunate Circumstances: Fire, Natural Disaster, Divorce, Injury, Death of Family Member, etc.
22. Other
23. Food is the most flexible part of the budget and most often is foregone when money is tight. There are many things, which can lead to or intensify malnutrition.
a. Lack of subsidized housing
b. Less generous food stamps
c. High cost of high nutrition baby formula
d. Lack of fresh fruits and veggies in inner city stores
e. All-day day care centers do not serve decent meals or snacks
f. If could not afford varied food for kids with allergies
g. New immigrants were not confused by junk food advertising
h. Mothers could breast feed instead of work
i. If children of working parents were not passed among multiple caregivers
j. If parents knew to sit youngsters down and calmly feed them
k. If there was less depression at the bottom of the economy
l. No place for the child to sit and eat
m. Parents fail to follow instructions or understand nutrition
n. Finances are one of the largest barriers to food security
o. Malfunctioning refrigerators
p. Crammed into the shared apartments where people steal food
q. Government bureaucracy is overwhelming and they do not get or do not know the service to which they are entitled
r. Lack of consistency (with regard to feeding habits or rituals)
24. These are the negative results of malnutrition
a. Poor brain development
b. Stunted physical growth
c. Decreases immune system
d. Health and behavior effects are present before the growth effects are evident
e. Hunger pains disrupt the ability to concentrate in school
f. Lethargic
g. Lightheaded
h. Lack on focus on concentration
i. Anxiety
j. Depression
k. Social Problems
25. Doctors can have a hard time helping patients in poverty because many barriers exists.
a. Language
b. SES, Class
c. Race
d. Lack of education
e. Culture / middle class values
f. Doctors are white, educated, in positions of power
g. Folklore of white doctors experimenting on black patients
h. Patients may not be able to purchase meds, come back for follow-up visits or consistently implement treatment suggestions
i. Fear
26. All of these factors contribute can create a cycle of poverty where the child is at risk to poor health, slow physical and mental development, and poor school performance or decreases ability level, which lead to future poverty. Other risk factors include: poverty, economic distress, violence in the environment, chronic illness, family stress, toxins in the environment
a. Kids who live in highly stressed environments can have: Developmental and behavioral problems, Lower IQ, Poor speech
development, Poor emotional adjustment, & Increased school problems
b. Mental retardation is caused by: abuse, malnutrition, genetic defects, dysfunctional caregiver, poisoning by alcohol, drugs,
or lead
c. Poor housing can contribute to illness: Poor ventilation, exposed wiring, overcrowding, heat which does not work, exposure
to allergens (mold, dust mites, roaches), asthma,
27. These are protective factors, which can help overcome the above issues: Good health, nice easy going temperament, good looking, economically secure, stable family, at least one adult who is madly in love with you, neighborhood that provides opportunities and support
Notes fROM Payne, R. K. (1996). A Framework for Understanding Poverty. HighlAnds, TX: Aha! Process.
a. Key Points to Remember:
i. Poverty is Relative
ii. Poverty occurs in all races and in all countries
iii. Economic class is a continuous line; not a clear-cut distinction.
iv. Generational poverty and situational poverty are different.
v. This work is based on patterns. All patterns have exceptions.
vi. An individual brings with her or him the hidden rules of class.
vii. Schools and businesses operate from middle-class norms and use the hidden rules of middle class.
viii. To move from poverty to middle class or middle class to wealth, an individual must give up relationships for
achievement (at least for some period of time).
ix. Two things that help one move out of poverty are education and relationships.
x. For reasons one leaves poverty are: It’s too painful to stay, a vision or goal, a key relationship, or a special
talent of skill.
b. Definition: Poverty is the extent to which an individual does without resources.
i. Financial: Having money to purchase goods and services
ii. Emotional: Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without
engaging in self-destructive behavior. This is an internal resource and shows itself through stamina,
perseverance, and choices.
iii. Mental: Having the mental abilities and acquired skills (reading, writing, and computing) to deal with daily life.
iv. Spiritual: Believing in divine purpose and guidance.
v. Physical: Having physical health and mobility.
vi. Support Systems: Having friends, family and backup resources available to access in times of need. These are
external resources.
vii. Relationship / Role Models: Having frequent access to adult(s) who are appropriate, who are nurturing to the
child, and who do not engage in self-destructive behavior.
viii. Knowledge of Hidden Rules: Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group.
i. Poverty is Relative
ii. Poverty occurs in all races and in all countries
iii. Economic class is a continuous line; not a clear-cut distinction.
iv. Generational poverty and situational poverty are different.
v. This work is based on patterns. All patterns have exceptions.
vi. An individual brings with her or him the hidden rules of class.
vii. Schools and businesses operate from middle-class norms and use the hidden rules of middle class.
viii. To move from poverty to middle class or middle class to wealth, an individual must give up relationships for
achievement (at least for some period of time).
ix. Two things that help one move out of poverty are education and relationships.
x. For reasons one leaves poverty are: It’s too painful to stay, a vision or goal, a key relationship, or a special
talent of skill.
b. Definition: Poverty is the extent to which an individual does without resources.
i. Financial: Having money to purchase goods and services
ii. Emotional: Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without
engaging in self-destructive behavior. This is an internal resource and shows itself through stamina,
perseverance, and choices.
iii. Mental: Having the mental abilities and acquired skills (reading, writing, and computing) to deal with daily life.
iv. Spiritual: Believing in divine purpose and guidance.
v. Physical: Having physical health and mobility.
vi. Support Systems: Having friends, family and backup resources available to access in times of need. These are
external resources.
vii. Relationship / Role Models: Having frequent access to adult(s) who are appropriate, who are nurturing to the
child, and who do not engage in self-destructive behavior.
viii. Knowledge of Hidden Rules: Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group.
The URBAN SPRAWL
What is it?
The spreading out of homes away from the center of a city
Why do people move to the suburbs?
What is happening?
Assertion No. 1
Assertion No. 2
Cost of Poverty in Center City Neighborhoods
Impact of Poverty
High Poverty Neighborhood Compared to Affluent Neighborhood
Information from Bro. Brandon Paluch
The spreading out of homes away from the center of a city
Why do people move to the suburbs?
- larger housing and space
- better schools
- greater safety and security
What is happening?
- Population per housing unit is decreasing (smaller family size)
- We are building housing units and absorbing land much faster than the population is growing
- losing population in the center city
- increase in the vacancy rate in the center city
- decrease in housing values in the center city
Assertion No. 1
- over the last 50 years urban sprawl has influenced a major shift in the population patterns of our region
- concentration of poverty and racial minorities of Dayton and the first tier suburbs
- growth of income inequality throughout the region
Assertion No. 2
- the concentration of poverty and race in the center city neighborhoods of Dayton has negative consequences for the children in these neighborhoods
- if this is true, then our city (Greater Dayton Region) has a serious pattern of injustice
Cost of Poverty in Center City Neighborhoods
- inhibits educational opportunity
- contributes to poor physical and mental health
- stimulates higher levels of crime
- reduces private sector activity
- raises prices for low-income households
- limits job networks and employment ambitions
- hinders wealth-building
- burdens local government services and fiscal capacities
- creates political and societal divisions
Impact of Poverty
High Poverty Neighborhood Compared to Affluent Neighborhood
- Students 26 times more likely to dropout of school
- Young women 160 times more likely to give birth as a teenager
- Youth 18 times more likely to be killed by gun fire
- Youth 60 times more likely to suffer reportable abuse or neglect
- 46 times more likely to be placed in foster care
Information from Bro. Brandon Paluch
Housing and HOMELESSNESS
3. According to the Stuart B. McKinney Act, the McKinney-Vento Act, and HUD, homelessness is…
a. A person is considered homeless who lacks fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence; or has a primary night time
residence that is:
i. A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living conditions
ii. An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized
iii. A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for
human beings
b. It also includes people who are sharing a house with other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or the like,
or people who for similar reason are staying in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of adequate
alternative accommodations, or are living in transitional shelters, are abandoned in hospitals or awaiting foster care
placement, migratory children, and people who face imminent eviction (within a week)
c. The term homeless individual does NOT include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained
4. Men are most likely to be homeless, though families with children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population
5. The causes of homelessness include: domestic violence, veterans, mental illness, addiction disorders, declining wages / poverty, lack of affordable housing, declining value and availability of public assistance, immigration, and lack of affordable health care
a. Lack of affordable health care: 1/3 of people in poverty do not have health care and few of those who do have it have
coverage for major illness
b. Domestic violence: About half of women and children who are homeless are trying to escape domestic violence
c. Mental illness: 22% of the homeless experience severe or persistent mental illness. Many of these people do not need
institutionalization they just need case management, treatment, and housing
d. Addiction disorders: High rates of drug and alcohol use among the homeless, but this is not a direct cause of
homelessness, it just increases the risk for homelessness. The poor have a hard time getting treatment and help for
addiction disorders. Barriers to treatment include: lack of health insurance, lack of documentation, waiting lists, lack of
services available, cultural insensitivity
e. Wages / Jobs: Real value of minimum wage is 26% less than it was in 1979, this means it has not kept pace with inflation,
prices / costs are rising but the minimum wage or wages are not keeping pace. Incomes, which are rising, are due to more
hours worked. At least 15-26% of homeless are employed but it requires more than minimum wage to afford housing, which
should be no more than 30% of ones income spent on housing
f. Housing: There has been a decline in affordable housing units. Some were converted to higher cost housing, some were
abandoned or closed, some were out of reach due to rising rent costs. Low-cost housing availability fell, Housing costs rose,
wages did not grow; and benefits decreased, whereas the amount of low-income people increased; the demand for housing
assistance outreaches the available supply and there are long wait lists, 26-35 months. The length of time people spend in
shelters is increasing as well.
6. It is hard to track the numbers of homeless, since homelessness is often temporary; better to ask the numbers of people who experience homelessness over time.
a. “Many people who lack a stable, permanent residence have few shelter options because shelters are filled to capacity or are
unavailable. A recent study of 24 U.S. cities found that in 2005, 14% of all requests for emergency shelter went unmet due to
lack of resources. For families, the numbers are even worse: 32% of emergency shelter requests from families were denied
(U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005). In addition, a review of homelessness in 50 cities found that in virtually every city, the
city's official estimated number of homeless people greatly exceeded the number of emergency shelter and transitional
housing spaces (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2004).”
b. There are no shelters in rural areas so it hard to determine the need or amount of homeless there. Often people double up
with others as a result.
c. Point in time counts (count all people on a given day or in a given week) OR Period prevalence counts (number of people
who are homeless over a given time frame)
i. Many more people experience homelessness that we originally thought and often do not remain homeless,
which makes the ability to count the homeless harder
ii. Point in time counts over estimate the chronically homeless
d. It is also hard to count because when the count is done there are hidden homeless or those who cannot be found or counted
because they are out of access or reach of the researcher
i. “For instance, a national study of formerly homeless people found that the most common places people who
had been literally homeless stayed were vehicles (59.2%) and makeshift housing, such as tents, boxes, caves,
or boxcars (24.6%) (Link et al., 1995). This suggests that homeless counts may miss significant numbers of
people who are homeless, including those living in doubled-up situations.”
e. National Statistics: “The best approximation is from a study done by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
which states that approximately 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a
given year (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2004).”
f. Given night in October 444,000 homeless and in February 842,000; 10% of the poor and 1% of the U.S. national population
and about 38-39% of the homeless were children
g. Homeless shelter beds have doubled and tripled over the past 10-20 years, which means homelessness is increasing
pOVERTY IN THE uNITED sTATES (2008)
U.S. Census Bureau News (2008) “Household Income Rises, Poverty Rate Unchanged, Number of Uninsured Down”. Washington: D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce. Taken from http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html
In 2007 (the most recent data collect), there were 37 million people in poverty in 2007 or 12.5% of the population. And 7.6 million families in poverty.
The poverty rate for children under 18 was 13.3 million, for adults 20.4 million, and for seniors 3.6 million.
The poverty line (the federal government measure of poverty) in 2008 was as follows:
i. Single person: $10,400
ii. Family of 2: $14,000
iii. Family of 3: $17,600
iv. Family of 4: $21,200
The median income for the United States was $50,233.
In 2007, the ratio of earnings of women who worked full time, year-round was 78 percent of that for corresponding men. Women working full time had a median income of $34,250 while men had a median income of $44,250.
Black households had the lowest median income at $33,916 and Asian households had the highest at $66,103. Non-Hispanic whites were at $54,920, and Hispanics were at $38,679.
There are more blacks in poverty (24.5%) when compared to Hispanics (20.6%), non-Hispanic whites (8.2%) and Asians (10.2%).
The percentage of people without health insurance was 15.8% of the population or 47 million people and 8.1 million of these are children.
In 2007 (the most recent data collect), there were 37 million people in poverty in 2007 or 12.5% of the population. And 7.6 million families in poverty.
The poverty rate for children under 18 was 13.3 million, for adults 20.4 million, and for seniors 3.6 million.
The poverty line (the federal government measure of poverty) in 2008 was as follows:
i. Single person: $10,400
ii. Family of 2: $14,000
iii. Family of 3: $17,600
iv. Family of 4: $21,200
The median income for the United States was $50,233.
In 2007, the ratio of earnings of women who worked full time, year-round was 78 percent of that for corresponding men. Women working full time had a median income of $34,250 while men had a median income of $44,250.
Black households had the lowest median income at $33,916 and Asian households had the highest at $66,103. Non-Hispanic whites were at $54,920, and Hispanics were at $38,679.
There are more blacks in poverty (24.5%) when compared to Hispanics (20.6%), non-Hispanic whites (8.2%) and Asians (10.2%).
The percentage of people without health insurance was 15.8% of the population or 47 million people and 8.1 million of these are children.