How Philanthropy Can Help End Homeless Issues
Homeless people are individuals without a permanent housing situation. They may live in a shelter, on the streets, in a car, in a park or other public spaces, in the woods, or in other informal or makeshift places such as in abandoned buildings or under bridges. They often lack access to basic needs such as food and health care. Some may be coping with mental illness, substance use disorder, or chronic health conditions. The number of homeless persons varies by community and is estimated to be between 200,000 and 2 million people in the United States at any given time.
The problem is growing. After a brief pause in homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic, the number of unsheltered people spiked last year and has continued to climb since then, with no state seeing an actual reduction in overall homelessness. Experts say this largely reflects a fundamental crisis in affordable housing. The national median rent is now more than 40 percent of the average household income, while eviction rates have climbed. In addition, poverty rates have increased, and in many areas, low-income families pay more than half of their incomes on rent.
Despite these challenges, there are innovative solutions emerging from communities across the country to address homelessness, including focusing on prevention and rapid rehousing, as well as increasing the use of Permanent Supportive Housing. Other strategies include rethinking traditional approaches to homeless services, expanding the definition of homelessness, and developing more flexible funding sources. Moreover, philanthropy is increasingly focused on investing in partnerships that bring together a diverse range of partners and stakeholders to drive system change.
A number of social movements and community organizations are helping to address the issue of homelessness, including a movement led by Funders Together to end youth homelessness by 2020. Others are taking a broader approach by leveraging their resources to help all vulnerable populations, including children, women and families, and veterans.
As homelessness continues to increase, we must acknowledge that we cannot continue to treat people without homes punitively. We must invest in communities that prioritize prevention and housing as a human right, while supporting local initiatives to reduce homelessness in ways that will work for all people.
In order to achieve these goals, it is important to understand the root causes of homelessness. While there are many reasons why people become homeless, a few key factors stand out: