Item B: City Council Goal – Update on Homeless Initiative Action Plan

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ATTACHMENT D A Brief Profile of Local Homelessness Estimate of local homeless populations On January 25, 2007 Lane County coordinated a one night shelter and street count where 2,296 homeless people were counted. Of these, 594 were unsheltered. The Veteran’s Administration reported last year that 4,560 of Lane County’s 38,000 Veterans were homeless (12%). In a typical year, Looking Glass sees about 1,000 unduplicated homeless and runaway youth. In a typical year, approximately 2,000 homeless children are enrolled in Lane County schools, with about half in Eugene. The most common and obvious reason for homelessness is poverty. According to the 2000 census, housing costs are no longer affordable to 20,000 very-low income local households (whose incomes are less than 50% of area median and are eligible for subsidized housing). Only about 4,000 subsidized housing units exist. A household on the edge, financially, is often pushed over the edge by a healthcare situation/emergency and thus becomes homeless. Over 50% of renters in Eugene are paying more than 30% of their income for housing. People who experience situational homelessness often become chronically homeless if their initial crisis is not addressed, or if they are unable to remedy the situations that placed them at risk. Approximately 16% of our local homeless population is “chronic”, compared to 10% nationally. The HUD definition of chronic homelessness is an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has been continuously homeless for more a year or more or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years. Characteristics of some homeless people Multiple diagnosis: With adults and youth an increasingly common challenge is people with multiple diagnoses including psychiatric disabilities such as bi-polar disorders or schizophrenia, developmental disabilities, numerous physical disabilities, and addictions. Many in this group are chronically homeless. Often, they do not have the capability of earning enough money to afford local housing. Youth, some of whom have mental/emotional, developmental or physical disabilities, are runaways, throwaways or are often homeless because their entire family is homeless. They are on the street or choosing dangerous options for a variety of reasons including a history of abuse at home. If not helped, they often age into becoming homeless adults, where they garner even less sympathy and are considered more hard-core. Families with children are comprised of both single parent and two parent families. They are often homeless due to financial crisis brought on by a variety of factors, sometimes but not always, due to poor choices. It is common for at least one adult to have a job. Their children are (or can become) homeless youth. One-time emergency payments prevent homelessness and a cascade of other financial problems. Domestic Violence; another common cause of homelessness, is a woman fleeing an abusive situation in order to protect herself or her children. Of the families with children who use the local emergency shelter system, more than one-fourth are homeless because they are fleeing a violent situation at home. Various national studies have found that between 25% and 50% of homeless women fled a domestic violence situation. L:\CMO\2007 Council Agendas\M070625\S070625B.DOC