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Link between Homelessness and Poverty. Homelessness and poverty are <br />inextricably linked together. Poor people are often unable to pay for their basic <br />needs and must make difficult choices that affect their ability to keep and maintain <br />stable housing. Two factors help account for increased poverty including the erosion <br />of good paying jobs and declining value and availability of public assistance. <br /> <br />Low-Wage Jobs. Media reports of a growing and healthy economy and Iow <br />unemployment mask a number of important reasons why homelessness continues to <br />persist in this community. VVhile the last few years have seen a growth in real <br />wages, these increases have not been enough to counteract the long pattern of <br />stagnant and declining wage levels. The connection between impoverished workers <br />and homelessness can be observed in homeless shelters, many of which house a <br />significant number of full-time wage earners. <br /> <br />Decline in Public Assistance. There has been a decline in the value and <br />availability of public assistance. Until its repeal in August 1996, Aid to Families with <br />Dependent Children was the largest cash assistance program for poor families with <br />children. It was replaced by the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) <br />program. Current TANF benefits and Food Stamps combined are well-below the <br />poverty level, in fact, the median TANF benefit for a family of three is only one-third <br />of the poverty level. Although welfare rolls have decreased since the new legislation <br />was passed, this only means that fewer people are receiving benefits under this <br />program. Early findings suggest that these families are moving from welfare to work, <br />but many remain in poverty because of Iow wages and the burden of expenses <br />imposed by child care expenses. <br /> <br />Lack of Affordable Housing. Lack of available affordable housing and the limited <br />scale of housing assistance programs are major contributors to the current housing <br />crisis and to homelessness. Housing assistance can make a difference between <br />housing stability, precarious housing situations, or no housing at all. The demand for <br />assisted housing vastly outweighs the supply, creating long waiting lists for assisted <br />housing, forcing families to double up, or become involved in the emergency shelter <br />system. Consequently, there is less shelter space available forcing many to resort to <br />living on the streets. <br /> <br />Lack of Services for Youth. There is a lack of services for youth aging out of foster <br />care, and/or residential treatment facilities. Many youth have limited employment <br />skills and it is difficult to afford housing and find landlords willing to rent to youth. <br />Homelessness becomes a very realistic consequence for youth leaving the child <br />welfare system. <br /> <br />Lack of Permanent Housing Resources for Disabled Persons. A lack of <br />permanent housing resources for disabled persons being released from corrections <br />and other public institutions greatly contributes to homelessness in Lane County. <br />Persons with criminal convictions face considerable discrimination from landlords as <br />they attempt to rent housing. There is inadequate funding for targeted case <br />management programs to provide outreach to disabled and dually-disabled <br />homeless persons. Persons with mental illness, chronic substance abuse, physical <br />disability, and HIV/AIDS are more vulnerable and have difficulty accessing needed <br />services and finding permanent stable housing. <br /> <br />57 <br /> <br /> <br />