Homelessness in the United States is a public health crisis which impacts every community across the country. The most significant drivers of homelessness include:
- wages that have not kept up with rising housing costs;
- inadequate safety net programs (e.g., SNAP); and
- systemic racism and discriminatory practices that result in inequitable access to quality housing, health care, education, and economic opportunity.
Homelessness means lacking a regular nighttime residence, sleeping in an emergency shelter, or living in a place not meant for human habitation, such as a vehicle or outdoors. The word, emergency, can denote urgency and duration. Yet, many people experiencing homelessness are not able to receive an immediate solution to their needs.
Resources
PDF: What You Need to Know About Homelessness PDF: Scaling Services to Meet People’s Needs PDF: The Wrong Approach to Homelessness PDF: Emerging Strategies to Combat State-Level Punitive BillsInfographics
