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 Zillionaire Realty, Inc. is working with the National Alliance to End Homelessness to help the Homeless nationwide. The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonpartisan, mission-driven organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. The Mission The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a leading voice on the issue of homelessness. The Alliance analyzes policy and develops pragmatic, cost-effective policy solutions. We work collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity, leading to stronger programs and policies that help communities achieve their goal of ending homelessness. We provide data and research to policymakers and elected officials in order to inform policy debates and educate the public and opinion leaders nationwide.The Ten Year Plan Guiding our work is A Plan, Not a Dream: How to End Homelessness in Ten Years. The Alliance's Ten Year Plan identifies our nation's current challenges in addressing the problem and lays out practical steps that can be taken to change its present course and truly end homelessness. The announcement of this plan started a snowball effect that is now felt across the country. The Administration and Congress have adopted significant parts of the Ten Year Plan as policy goals. Opinion leaders have begun to echo the language and key concepts of the plan and communities and states across the nation have taken up the challenge to end homelessness. Hundreds of communities are developing or have implemented plans to end homelessness within ten years. Across the country, the movement is growing. Now more than ever, our nation is poised to end homelessness.One of Many NAEH Focus Groups: Children Youth homelessness is disturbingly common. Although the prevalence of youth homelessness is difficult to measure, researchers estimate that about 5 to 7.7 percent of youth experience homelessness each year. The same factors that contribute to adult homelessness, such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, low education levels, unemployment, mental health, and substance abuse, can lead to homelessness among youth. Beyond these factors, youth homelessness is largely a reflection of family breakdown.Homelessness has serious consequences for young people and is especially dangerous for those between the ages of 16 and 24 who do not have familial support. Living in shelters or on the streets, unaccompanied homeless youth are at a higher risk for physical and sexual assault or abuse and physical illness, including HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, homeless youth are at a higher risk for anxiety disorders, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide because of increased exposure to violence while living on their own. Overall, homeless youth are also likely to become involved in prostitution, to use and abuse drugs, and to engage in other dangerous and illegal behaviors. Substance abuse, however, is not characteristic of the runaway youth population. Additionally, in the case of homeless youth, various studies have found high rates of parental alcohol or drug abuse (24 to 44 percent). Despite all of these setbacks, most homeless youth are still in school. In 2005, a survey indicated that prior to shelter 79 percent of homeless youth were attending school on a regular basis and, of homeless youth in transitional housing, 78 percent were still in school. The federal government has multiple programs designed to prevent and end youth homelessness. Local community programs, funded by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (Department of Health and Human Services-HHS), served over 500,000 homeless and runaway youth in 2005. Still, HHS reported that over 2,500 homeless and runaway youth were turned away from shelter and housing in 2005 due to lack of bed spaces. Funding for shelter and housing for youth should be increased to ensure no young people in the US sleep on the streets or in an unsafe environment. Solutions: More Should Be Done The Chaffee Foster Care Independence Program (CHCIP) also provides states with funding to support youth who are expected to emancipate from foster care and former foster care youth ages 18 to 21, which helps prevent homelessness for an at-risk group of youth. However, even if states used all the federal funding for youth housing, each youth would receive only $800 per year. In order to better prevent homelessness, particularly for at-risk groups of youth, an increase in housing funds is necessary. Additionally, housing for youth is cheaper than treatment and jail. While the average cost of foster care, in-patient treatment, or juvenile correction placements average between $25,000 and $55,000 per year, the average cost of a transitional living program housing unit for youth is approximately $11,800.Another Important NAEH Focus Group: Veterans Far too many veterans are homeless in America. Homeless veterans can be found in every state across the country and live in rural, suburban, and urban communities. Many have lived on the streets for years, while others live on the edge of homelessness, struggling to pay their rent. We analyzed data from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Census Bureau to examine homelessness and severe housing cost burden among veterans. This report includes the following findings: In 2006, approximately 195,827 veterans were homeless on a given night - an increase of 0.8 percent from 194,254 in 2005. More veterans experience homeless over the course of the year. We estimate that 336,627 were homeless in 2006. Veterans make up a disproportionate share of homeless people. They represent roughly 26 percent of homeless people, but only 11 percent of the civilian population 18 years and older. This is true despite the fact that veterans are better educated, more likely to be employed, and have a lower poverty rate than the general population. A number of states, including Louisiana and California, had high rates of homeless veterans. In addition, the District of Columbia had a high rate of homelessness among veterans with approximately 7.5 percent of veterans experiencing homelessness. We estimate that in 2005 approximately 44,000 to 64,000 veterans were chronically homeless (i.e., homeless for long periods or repeatedly and with a disability).Lack of affordable housing is the primary driver of homelessness. The 23.4 million U.S. veterans generally do not have trouble affording housing costs; veterans have high rates of home ownership and appear generally well housed. However, there is a subset of veterans who have severe housing cost burden. We estimate that nearly half a million (467,877) veterans were severely rent burdened and were paying more than 50 percent of their income for rent. More than half (55 percent) of veterans with severe housing cost burden fell below the poverty level and 43 percent were receiving foods stamps. Rhode Island, California, Nevada, and Hawaii were the states with the highest percentage of veterans with severe housing cost burden. The District of Columbia had the highest rate, with 6.4 percent of veterans paying more than 50 percent of their income toward rent. Female veterans, those with a disability, and unmarried or separated veterans were more likely to experience severe housing cost burden. There are also differences by period of service, with those serving during the Korean War and WWII more likely to have severe housing cost burden. We estimate that approximately 89,553 to 467,877 veterans were at risk of homelessness. At risk is defined as being below the poverty level and paying more than 50 percent of household income on rent. It also includes households with a member who has a disability, a person living alone, and those who are not in the labor force. These findings highlight the need to expand homeless prevention and affordable housing programs targeted at veterans. Further the findings demonstrate that ending homelessness among veterans is a vital mission that requires the immediate attention of policymakers. Solutions: 3 Steps 1. Establish a risk assessment process during the first 30 days of discharge and pilot a homelessness prevention program. Using basic measures, this analysis shows that a high number of veterans are at risk of homelessness. To end homelessness among veterans, we have to prevent it from occurring in the first place. The number of veterans at risk of homelessness suggests the need for testing a risk assessment process and piloting a homelessness prevention program that targets veterans, particularly returning veterans, and provides them with prevention services including shallow subsidies, eviction prevention, and one-time assistance for veterans who fall behind on their rent. This pilot should be tested in at least three areas, including one rural location, and should be rigorously evaluated.2. Create permanent supportive housing options for veterans. Approximately 44,000 to 66,000 veterans are chronically homeless. Homeless veterans who have been on the streets for a long time, have severe physical or mental disabilities, or have chronic substance abuse problems will need permanent supportive housing - housing linked with intensive supports - to help them maintain housing stability. A number of research studies show that permanent supportive housing is a cost-effective approach that helps people who have intensive needs maintain stable housing, and some evidence shows that once back in housing they are likely to access health and substance abuse treatment. We propose creating 5,000 units per year for the next 5 years; these units should be dedicated to chronically homeless veterans and should be linked to veterans' support systems. The cost of 25,000 permanent supportive housing units is approximately $3 billion for capital costs to develop the units and another $1.2 billion for operating and service costs over 5 years. This would cut the number of chronically homeless veterans by more than half. 3. Expand rental assistance for veterans. Congress should fund an additional 20,000 housing choice vouchers exclusively for homeless veterans. The operating cost of 20,000 vouchers is approximately $175 million annually and $875 million over 5 years. Providing 20,000 vouchers would reduce homelessness among veterans by 10 percent. In addition to housing vouchers, Congress should create a shallow subsidy program that helps bridge the gap between income and rent. Providing a shallow housing subsidy of approximately $250 per month to 89,000 veterans would cost approximately $267 million per year and $1.3 billion over 5 years. Acting upon these recommendations would end homelessness for 45,000 veterans who are currently homeless (reducing homelessness among veterans by almost one-quarter) and would prevent homelessness among thousands more - costing approximately $6.4 billion dollars from the federal government. This seems like an enormous cost, yet it is only slightly more than what the federal government is currently spending in Iraq and Afghanistan per month (around $8 billion) and it is a fraction of what Congress plans to spend (upwards of $1.2 trillion). Certainly we have the resources to significantly reduce homelessness among veterans. What Can You Do? Donate here now and contact us to have your property listed with Zillionaire Realty. A portion of your sales commission will be a tax-deductible donation to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. |
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