HOMELESSNESS IN WASHINGTON
STATE
MYTHS AND SOLUTIONS
Bill Block
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE
HOMELESS ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT?
On the street
In emergency shelter
In transitional housing
Homelessness is the Bellwether for Our
Society
Homelessness is the bellwether for our society;
it tells us whether our economic system is
working, whether our mental health system is
working, whether our criminal justice system
and child welfare systems are working.
Father Stephen Sundborg, at a meeting of the Committee
to End Homelessness
Myth: Homelessness is
mostly older white guys
BACKGROUND: Racial Make Up of
Persons below 30% AMI in King County
ALL PERSONS
Characteristics of persons experiencing homelessness
Age
Under 18
23%
18 to 24
11%
25 to 29
8%
30 to 39
17%
40 to 49
18%
Over 50
24%
Reported Race
5%
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
4%
41%
Black or African American
8%
Multi-Racial
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
3%
40%
White
Gender
Female
9,817
43%
Male
13,205
57%
23,253
FAMILIES – WITH CHILDREN
Characteristics of families experiencing homelessness
Age
18 to 24
15%
25 to 29
20%
30 to 39
39%
40 to 49
20%
Over 50
7%
Reported Race
American Indian or Alaska Native
4%
Asian
4%
56%
Black or African American
8%
Multi-Racial
3%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
25%
White
Gender
Male
390
16%
916
Female
2,021
84%
2,419
Myth: Homelessness will always be
with us
HOMELESSNESS CAN BE ENDED:
SEE VETS
Point-in-Time Count Summary:
Homeless Veterans
80,000
73,367
74,087
70,000
65,455
60,579
60,000
55,619
49,689
50,000
43,409
47,725
43,437
40,033
40,000
39,471
35,143
29,958
34,909
30,650
30,000
25,422
32,119
Unsheltered
31,505
26,404
25,436
20,710
20,000
17,570
16,220
13,067
10,000
0
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Sheltered
2016
Total
Myth: Homelessness is mostly caused
by mental illness or chemical
dependency
Causes of Homelessness
Street Survey
What percentage of households in
Washington State are paying more than
30% of their income on rent?
35%
What percentage of households in
Washington State are paying more than
50% of their income on rent?
15%
Cost Burdens for WA Households Under
100% of Area Median Income
What do you need to make per hour to
afford a two bedroom apartment in
Washington State?
$23.13 per hour
According to a national study, for
every $100 increase in rent, there is a
6% to 32% increase in
homelessness.
In the Mental Health America 2015 Survey,
Washington State ranked 48th in terms of
mental health services.
48th in the nation
40% percentage of youth on the streets
came directly from foster care.
40%
(Columbia Legal Services: http://columbialegal.org/working-reduce-youth-homelessness)
20% percentage of people leaving
prison become homeless soon
thereafter.
20%
58% percent of unsheltered homeless women
reported having experienced severe physical
or sexual abuse.
58%
Myth: Homelessness
is a New York problem
West Coast vs Rest of Nation
West Coast vs Rest of Nation
Myth: “If you build it, they will come.”
Some people
just want to be homeless
THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
HOUSING FIRST
THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
RAPID REHOUSING
THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
FAMILY REUNIFICATION
THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
COORDINATED ENTRY
THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
BY NAME LISTS
THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
OPPORTUNITY VOUCHERS
Children whose families moved to a lower-poverty area when they are
less than 13 years old:
• have an annual income in their mid-20s that is $3,477 (31%) higher;
• are 16.5% more likely to attend college and attend better colleges;
• are 30% less likely to be single parents themselves (for females)
The researchers estimate that moving a child out of public housing to a
low-poverty area when young (at age 8 on average) using an MTOtype experimental voucher will increase the child's total lifetime
earnings by about $302,000.
THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
DATA MATTERS
• Length of Time Persons Remain Homeless
• The Extent to Which Persons who Exit Homelessness
Return to Homelessness
• Successful Placement from Street Outreach
• Successful Placement in Retention of Permanent Housing
SO WHY IS HOMELESSNESS
INCREASING?
• Family stability and composition have been stable since
2011
• Employment levels are stable
• Opiate use has increased, but overall alcohol and other
drug dependence has decreased more since 2012
• Educational attainment and skills are trending upward
• Prevalence of domestic violence does not appear to be
increasing
THE HOUSING CRISIS
THE HOUSING CRISIS