The 'new face' of homelessness

MORRISON INSTITUTE BLOG

By Kristin Borns, Senior Policy Analyst

On my way back from lunch one afternoon recently, a kind, clearly homeless man; torn, dirty clothes, skin the deepest shade of brown from having been in the sun constantly, asked if I wouldn’t mind sharing my leftovers. Just one of the everyday encounters with the struggling homeless population that happens in any downtown. This is who Arizonans think about when they think about “helping the homeless”, and they’d be right – but only in part.

The face of homelessness is changing nationwide and in Arizona. Now, more than ever before, homelessness is affecting professionals out of work, single parents, and families - the fastest growing group of homeless, according to the Department of Economic Security (DES).

DES provides an annual point-in-time count of individuals experiencing homelessness in Arizona, and in January of this year, approximately 50% of those individuals who were sheltered were in families. This is a jump from 2007, where only 37% were in families. Additionally, school districts statewide are reporting increases in homeless students as well as students accessing the free and reduced lunch program. In October, Mesa Public Schools reported an increase of 400 homeless students over the last three years. As the recession continues, and more Arizonans lose their jobs, the realities of poverty, hunger, and homelessness become more acute.

Service providers also are seeing clients they’ve never seen before. In fact, in a recent news interview, the spokesman for St. Mary’s food bank noted they are now seeing people coming in for services who last year were providing donations.

Yet, even with this tacit recognition of the increase in need, lawmakers are looking to make even more cuts to adjust a current-year budget that is $2 billion short. Some suggested impact scenarios put forth by state agencies include the Department of Housing’s complete elimination of the Homeless Prevention Program, which could result in 2,000 households now facing eviction or foreclosure; the Department of Economic Security’s reduction of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) cash benefits for families in poverty; and perhaps most frightening, the elimination of the KidsCare insurance program, resulting in 47,000 low-income children losing coverage. Nothing can spiral a family into financial ruin like an uncovered health emergency.

Policymakers may not even know or understand the size and need of this new community. Without this understanding, it is impossible to know what long-term impact cuts alone are going to have. Serving those who are experiencing homelessness has always been complex. Even the notions of who those experiencing homelessness in downtown are likely to miss the nuances and needs of the individual I encountered during that lunchtime.

HUD releases an annual report on homelessness nationally, and in the report for 2008, released last July, it was noted that families were more likely than other groups to have been housed the night prior to experiencing homelessness, often staying with family or friends. As families experience lost jobs and incomes, they are exploring other options, with homelessness being the last stop. Even more so now than before, policymakers defining the need and possible consequences of choices is complicated, since preconceptions of those experiencing homelessness do not apply in this new normal.

Our neighbors and friends are the new face of the recession.