And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: "*Noquisi* (Day Starr)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > > http://www.mayors.org/uscm/hhsummary.html > > FWD U.S. Conference of Mayors > > > > [site includes link for downloading entire report] > > > > SUMMARY: A STATUS REPORT ON HUNGER AND > > HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICAN CITIES - 1998 > > > > To assess the status of hunger and homelessness in America's cities during > > 1998 The U.S. Conference of Mayors surveyed 30 major cities whose mayors > > were members of its Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. The survey > > sought information and estimates from each city on 1) the demand for > > emergency food assistance and emergency shelter and the capacity of local > > agencies to meet that demand; 2) the causes of hunger and homelessness and > > the demographics of the populations experiencing these problems; 3) > > exemplary programs or efforts in the cities to respond to hunger and > > homelessness; 4) the availability of affordable housing for low income > > people; 5) the outlook for the future and the impact of the economy on > > hunger and homelessness. > > > > Among the findings of the 30-city survey: > > > > HUNGER > > > > Officials in the survey cities estimate that during the past year requests > > for emergency food assistance increased by an average of 14 percent, with > > 78 percent of the cities registering an increase. Requests for food > > assistance by families with children increased by an average of 14 percent. > > Requests for emergency food assistance by elderly persons increased by an > > average six percent during the last year, with 67 percent of the cities > > reporting an increase. > > > > On average, 21 percent of the requests for emergency food assistance are > > estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. For families alone, 18 > > percent of the requests for assistance are estimated to have gone unmet. In > > 47 percent of the cities, emergency food assistance facilities may have to > > turn away people in need due to lack of resources. > > > > Sixty-one percent of the people requesting emergency food assistance were > > members of families -- children and their parents. Thirty-seven percent of > > the adults requesting food assistance were employed. > > > > The overall level of resources available to emergency food assistance > > facilities increased by 24 percent during the last year. Forty-seven > > percent of the survey cities reported that emergency food assistance > > facilities are able to provide an adequate quantity of food. In 60 percent > > of the cities emergency food assistance facilities have had to decrease the > > number of bags of food provided and/or the number of times people can > > receive food. Of these cities, 50 percent have had to increase the limit on > > food provided. Seventy-seven percent of the survey cities reported that the > > food provided is nutritionally balanced. > > > > In 92 percent of the cities, emergency food assistance facilities were > > relied on by families and individuals both in emergencies and as a steady > > source of food over long periods of time. > > > > Low-paying jobs lead the list of causes of hunger identified by the city > > officials. Other causes cited, in order of frequency, include high housing > > costs, unemployment and other employment-related problems, food stamp cuts, > > poverty or lack of income, low benefits in public assistance programs and > > substance abuse. During the last year, 67 percent of the survey cities > > supported local emergency food assistance efforts. Twenty-three percent > > used locally generated revenues; two percent used Stewart B. McKinney > > Homeless Assistance Act funds; 14 percent used state grants; four percent > > used Community Services Block Grant Funds and 27 percent used Community > > Development Block Grant funds. > > > > HOMELESSNESS > > > > During the past year requests for emergency shelter increased in the survey > > cities by an average of 11 percent, with 72 percent of the cities > > registering an increase. Requests for shelter by homeless families alone > > increased by 15 percent, with 64 percent of the cities reporting an > > increase. > > > > An average of 26 percent of the requests for emergency shelter by homeless > > people overall and 30 percent of the requests by homeless families alone > > are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. In 67 percent of the > > cities, emergency shelters may have to turn away homeless families due to > > lack of resources; in 67 percent they may also have to turn away other > > homeless people. > > > > People remain homeless an average of 10 months in the survey cities. > > Fifty-four percent of the cities said that the length of time people are > > homeless increased during the last year. > > > > Lack of affordable housing lead the list of causes of homelessness > > identified by the city officials. Other causes cited, in order of > > frequency, include substance abuse and the lack of needed services, mental > > illness and the lack of needed services, low paying jobs, domestic > > violence, changes and cuts in public assistance, poverty and the lack of > > access to affordable health care > > > > Officials estimate that, on average, single men comprise 45 percent of the > > homeless population, families with children 38 percent, single women 14 > > percent and unaccompanied minors three percent. Children account for > > one-fourth of the homeless population. The homeless population is estimated > > to be 49 percent African-American, 32 percent white, 12 percent Hispanic, > > four percent Native American and three percent Asian. An average of 24 > > percent of homeless people in the cities are considered mentally ill; 38 > > percent are substance abusers; eight percent have AIDS or HIV-related > > illness. Twenty-two percent are employed; 22 percent are veterans. > > > > During the last year the number of emergency shelter beds remained > > approximately the same in the survey cities. Transitional housing units > > increased by an average of 11 percent. Single Room Occupancy units > > increased by seven percent. > > > > In 53 percent of the cities, families may have to break up in order to be > > sheltered. In 50 percent of the cities families may have to spend their > > daytime hours outside of the shelter they use at night. > > > > Officials in the survey cities report that the Federal Government's > > Continuum of Care policy has made a difference in their community's effort > > to address homelessness, and that the increase in HUD funding to address > > homelessness has resulted in more homeless families and individuals > > accessing transitional and permanent housing and reaching self-sufficiency > > in their cities. > > > > Ninety percent of the survey cities used city government funds during the > > last year to support shelters or other services for homeless people. Thirty > > percent used Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act funds; 23 percent > > used locally generated revenues; 19 percent used Community Development > > Block Grant funds; 15 percent used state grants; and 12 percent used > > Community Services Block Grant funds and other sources of federal funds. > > > > HOUSING > > > > Requests for assisted housing by low income families and individuals > > increased in 74 percent of the cities during the last year. Twenty-seven > > percent of eligible low income households are currently served by assisted > > housing programs. City officials estimate that low income households spend > > an average of 47 percent of their income on housing. > > > > Applicants must wait an average of 24 months for public housing in the > > survey cities. The wait for Section 8 Certificates is 33 months, for > > Section 8 Vouchers, 34 months. Seventy-six percent of the cities have > > stopped accepting applications for at least one assisted housing program > > due to the excessive length of the waiting list. > > > > Many of the city officials say that the elimination of Section 8 > > incremental certificates will mean a longer wait for assisted housing, more > > overcrowding and increased homelessness. > > > > THE OUTLOOK > > > > Officials in 96 percent of the responding cities expect requests for > > emergency food assistance to increase during 1999. Ninety-six percent > > expect that requests for emergency food assistance by families with > > children will increase during 1999. Officials in 93 percent of the cities > > expect that requests for emergency shelter will increase next year. > > Eighty-eight percent expect that requests by homeless families will > > increase. > > > > The city officials report that the strong economy has had very little > > positive impact on hunger and homelessness. In many cities, conditions are > > likely to decline further next year. Low paying jobs that cannot support a > > household continues to be a very troublesome problem. Many cities report > > that welfare reform has had a negative impact on hunger and homelessness. > > Moreover, several cities expect a downturn in the economy which will > > further increase the number of homeless and requests for food. > > > > The entire report is online as of January 5, 1999. To have a hard copy > > mailed to you, please contact Doreen Hardie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> at (202) > > 293-7330. > > > > END FORWARD -- Back To The Blanket Journal: http://www.angelfire.com/biz/BackToTheBlanket Heroine Mu Gui-Ying http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/7111 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
