There is a new epidemic facing our country as the recession continues to burden our communities. Homelessness is a severe threat to millions Americans as the recession continues to cause people to lose their jobs and homes. Foreclosures are happening by the thousands every day, so what are these families going to do?
The recession is no doubt causing a huge increase in homelessness. And a major part of the problem is a lack in funding for shelters and housing subsidies across our nation. Donations to charities have fallen significantly, while the desperate need for these funds are rising. States have had to cut funding for housing and shelters due to demands on a stressed economy.
Homelessness is coming in from all ends of the spectrum during the recession. Many households are finding themselves unable to meet even their most basic needs, and even worse are those who have fallen into deep poverty. Millions of households are earning and living on less than half of the poverty line, and the number is significantly rising as we struggle through these harsh economic times. Many families are facing job loss, layoffs, and losing their homes to foreclosure due the not being able to make their monthly mortgage payments. And in the pit of their worse fears, these families face the need to turn to shelters for assistance.
However, due to the vast increase of so many families in the same position of homelessness in the recession, many shelters are tuning away families daily. The increase of poverty and homelessness has become a complete epidemic and because of the lack of federal funding and local charities, these shelters are unable to accommodate the large request for help.
As a matter of fact, because of the recession causing an increase in homelessness, shelters are now begining to require families to be working at least 30 hours per week, and saving 30% of their income while in the shelter as a requirement in their program. This of course is stirring up much controversy as many families feel meeting those requirements is unattainable and unfair at this time in their lives.
There seems to be a no-win situation as hand as our country goes through the recession. Budgets across the board are strained, and the need for shelters and housing assistance is rising dramatically as homelessness continues to increase as the recession rages on.
Mike Manning runs the largest online directory of homeless shelters, the
homeless shelter directory.
