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Homelessness is defined as a person sleeping in a place not meant as permanent
residence, in an emergency shelter, or in transitional or supportive housing.
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According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 700,000-800,000
people are homeless on any given night in the United States.
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In Washoe County, NV, the number on any given night is 4,000-5,000, of which
approximately 1,700 are children.
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In Clark County, NV, periodic street and shelter counts as of April 2004
in Las Vegas on any given night revealed 7,877 persons living in a state of
homelessness.
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Poverty is defined by the Federal government as income below $18,400 for
a family of four. Low income is defined as income below $36,800 for a family
of 4.
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It is estimated that 15% of Nevada's children live in poverty, 39% live
in low income households, 20% are with unemployed parents, 61% of eligible families
receive no food stamps, and 50% are a part of single-parent low income families.
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According to data collected by the Reno Area Alliance For The Homeless,
the Washoe County School District, the Washoe County Sheriff's Department, Kid's
Korner, and other service providers, approximately 16,000 households are considered
at risk of becoming homeless in Washoe County alone. These are families whose
income is at or below 30% of the area's median income and those receiving TANF
aid.
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The most common factors of homelessness in Northern Nevada are domestic
crises (including domestic battering), inability to find an affordable house or apartment,
unemployment, sudden illness in the family, and unforeseen major expenses such
as medical and car repair. Many women are forced to choose between abuse and
the streets.
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Homelessness is a devastating experience for families, disrupting every
aspect of family life, damaging the physical and emotional health of persons, interfering with
the children's education and development, and frequently resulting in the separation
of family members due to a number of factors, including shelter policies that
deny access to older boys or fathers.
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Nevada school districts reported that for the 2003-2004 school year, 4199
children (ages 5-18) were identified as homeless.
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In July of 2004, Nevada Checkup (a health care plan which is a step up from
Medicaid with a means test) was covering 25,568 children ages birth to 18, but
an estimated additional 38,581 still remained uninsured.
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Families with children are among the fastest growing segments of the homeless
population.
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The most common needs among people experiencing homelessness are housing,
adequate incomes, and health care. Others may need mental health services or
drug treatment to remain securely housed.
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Declining wages have put housing out of reach for many families. More than
a minimum wage is required to afford a one- or two-bedroom apartment at Fair
Market Rent (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2000). In fact, the median
wage needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment is more than twice the minimum
wage.
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The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
(the federal welfare reform law) repealed the AFDC program and replaced it with
a block grant program called Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).
Current TANF benefits and food stamps combined are below the poverty level.
In fact, the median TANF benefit for a family of three is about one-third of
the poverty level. Only a small fraction of welfare recipients' new jobs pay
above-poverty wages. Most of the new jobs pay far below the poverty line.
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In Nevada the TANF monthly subsidy of $348 for a mother with two children
has not been increased in many years.
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Extreme poverty is growing more common for children, especially those in
female-headed and working families. This increase can be traced directly to the declining
number of children lifted above one-half of the poverty line by government cash
assistance for the poor.
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The best way to help the children who are poor and homeless is to help their
parents.
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Excessive waiting lists for public housing mean that families must remain
in shelters or inadequate housing arrangements longer.
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The-shrinking supply of affordable housing is another factor underlying
the growth in family homelessness. Nationally, the gap between the number of affordable housing
units and the number of people needing them is currently the largest on record
estimated at 4.4 million units.
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Children without a home are in fair or poor health twice as often as other
children, and having higher rates of asthma, ear infections, stomach problems,
dental problems, and speech problems. Homeless children also experience more
mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and withdrawal. They are
twice as likely to experience hunger, and four times as likely to have delayed
development. These illnesses have potentially devastating consequences if not
treated early.
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School-age children who are homeless face barriers to enrolling and attending
school, including transportation problems, inability to obtain previous school
records, and lack of clothing and school supplies.
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Many people experiencing homelessness are invisible to the public. They
live in storage sheds, abandoned buildings, a car, or on a friend's or relative's floor.
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A move back to an apartment or house requires cash for deposits, first and
last months' rent, utility hookups, and telephone service.
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One group of persons who are homeless is unaccompanied youth (18-21), who
need a halfway house arrangement in which they can learn basic social skills
and seek job training and placement.
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Policies to end homelessness must include jobs that pay livable wages. In
order to work, families with children need access to affordable quality child
care and adequate transportation. Education and training are also essential elements in preparing parents for better paying
jobs to support their families.
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Jobs, child care, and transportation are not enough. Without affordable,
decent housing, people cannot keep their jobs and remain healthy.
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More temporary emergency housing is needed with centralized wrap-around
social and health services, counseling, parenting classes, child care, basic life skills training--services
that offer a continuum of care.
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Funding is needed for emergency rental assistance to help families stay
in their homes during times of crisis to prevent homelessness.
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Community agencies need incentives to come to the planning table to work
together to develop and provide a range of comprehensive services that can be
accessed at one location
