Suburban, Rural Homelessness Jumps in 2008

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-07-10 05:54:00 UTC
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The national homelessness figures are out, and the numbers aren't pretty.

The number of homeless families in suburban areas increased by 56% in 2008, while the number of homeless families in rural areas increased by 34%. This is according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's "2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report" released to Congress today.

Yet, despite these jumps in family homelessness, the broader picture of overall homelessness remained relatively stable, according to CNN:

The spike in suburban and rural communities, areas that have been especially hard hit by the housing meltdown, "begs many questions about how today's housing crisis and job losses are playing out in our shelters and on our streets," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan in a written statement.

Nationally, the number of families in need of a place to live increased by 9%, the report said.

Meanwhile, nationwide, the number of individuals without shelter dipped 1% in 2008 compared to 2007. On a single night in January 2008, about 664,000 people - counting those in shelter and those unsheltered - didn't have a home. That was 7,500 fewer than the previous year.

The Annual Homeless Assessment Report is dense with data, so this certainly will not be the last you hear of it here. But these significant increases in family homelessness in non-urban areas are tough to miss. And tough to swallow.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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