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Poverty and Homelessness in the United States

Poverty and Homelessness in the United States. Rebecca S. Myers, LSW Director of External Relations National Association of Social Workers, USA Johannesburg, South Africa Wednesday, October 15, 2008. Poverty Facts. 12.5% of Americans live in poverty Rate in 1950s was 22.4%

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Poverty and Homelessness in the United States

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  1. Poverty and Homelessness in the United States Rebecca S. Myers, LSW Director of External Relations National Association of Social Workers, USA Johannesburg, South Africa Wednesday, October 15, 2008 ©2008 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 1

  2. Poverty Facts • 12.5% of Americans live in poverty • Rate in 1950s was 22.4% • Calculations were established in the 1950’s and 1960’s • Rates are higher for people who are African-American and Latino • Rates are highest for families headed by single women • Rates for native-born are lower than rates for foreign-born ©2008 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 2

  3. Poverty Facts Children are disproportionately living in poverty • Children are 25% of the population, but 35% of the population that is living in poverty • 17.8% of all children live in poverty • Rate varies by ethnicity ©2008 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 3

  4. Efforts to Address Poverty ©2008 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 4

  5. Half in Ten www.halfinten.org Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF) Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR Focus on the situations facing the poor and middle class today Demand legislative action on poverty and economic mobility Advance specific legislative and policy proposals that will deliver real benefits to struggling American families

  6. Every Child Matters Education Fund www.everychildmatters.org Make children, youth, and families a national political priority Promote adoption of policies for children and youth: • Affordable, comprehensive health care services • Early-care and learning opportunities and after-school programs • Preventing violence against children • Alleviating child poverty • Addressing the needs of children with parents in prison Urges candidates to support, and the public to demand, greater investments in programs that address the needs of America's families

  7. Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign: www.economichumanrights.org • A movement that unites the poor across color lines • Committed to uniting the poor as the leadership base to abolish poverty everywhere and forever • Promotes economic human rights, named in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) • UDHR based on founding creed of the United States

  8. Homelessness Facts • In one year, 1 in 200 people accessed a homeless residential program • 15% are veterans • 4% are people living with HIV/AIDS • 13% are victims of domestic violence • 28% have severe mental illness • 39% have chronic substance abuse • 2% are unaccompanied youth ©2008 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 8

  9. Chronic Homelessness Individual with a disability who has been either continuously homeless for a year or more or has experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years 18% of people who are homeless are considered chronically homeless

  10. Ending Chronic Homelessness Interagency Council on Homelessness • Federal government coordinating group • End chronic homelessness in 10 years • Works with local governments • More effective to provide housing plus supportive services

  11. National Alliance to End Homelessness A Plan to End Homelessness in Ten Years • Document need • Prevention Rent and housing assistance Discharge people into housing • Outreach • Shortening Time of homelessness • Links to services

  12. Community Programs Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) • Faith-based community organizing • Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) • 2500 units of supportive housing • 30% affordable housing in all new developments • Neighborhood Investment Fund (NIF) • Rental and permanent housing

  13. Resources • Industrial Areas Foundation: www.industrialareasfoundation.org • Interagency Council on Homelessness: www.ich.gov • National Alliance to End Homelessness: www.endhomelessness.org • National Poverty Center, University of Michigan: www.npc.umich.edu/poverty • US Department of Housing and Urban Development; “Third Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress;” July 2008: www.hudhre.info/documents/3rdHomelessAssessmentReport.pdf ©2008 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. 13

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