300 New Homeless People in Austin Tonight

Due to the massive apartment fire in St. Johns' neighborhood this afternoon, the Red Cross is reporting there are now 300 people displaced and without shelter. Although the two most common contributing factors to homelessness are (1) poverty and (2) lack of affordable housing, another frequent factor is an incident of emergency. Once a family experiences an unexpected change in their situation, they can go from housed to homeless in an instant. That is what happened today in Austin.

Because so many of you I know will be helping to serve those displaced by this catastrophe, I thought I would share with you all some MYTHS & FACTS about Homelessness in the Austin area*.

MYTH: Those in homeless situations are mostly single adult males.
FACT: Families are the fastest growing population of the homeless. 40% of all those in homeless situations are families. (And, in the U.S. at large, the average homeless person is a 10 year old girl.) Unlike homeless single adult men, homeless families are often invisible to the public eye. Homeless families often live doubled up with friends or family members or in shelters, including domestic violence shelters.

MYTH: Those in homeless situations are "street people."
FACT: Only 18% of those in homeless situations live on the streets. The majority (64%) of those in homeless situations live in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or doubled up with family or friends. 19% live in motels or rooming houses.

MYTH: Those in homeless situations are lazy and won't work.
FACT: 44% of homeless persons did paid work during the last month. Of these, 20% worked in a job lasting or expected to last at least 3 months, 25% worked at a temporary or day-labor job. Most work in minimum-wage, service, or seasonal jobs that do not pay enough to afford housing at the fair-market rate in our community.

MYTH: All those in homeless situations are poorly educated.
FACT: While lack of education and significant job training do contribute to homelessness, a health crisis, or natural disaster (or other disaster like the St. Johns' fire today) does not discriminate based on education. Many of those in homeless situations have a high school, college and even graduate degrees.

MYTH: All those in homeless situations get government assistance.
FACT: Over 40% of homeless persons are eligible for disability, but only 11% actually receive them. Most are eligible for food stamps, but only 37% receive them. Most families are eligible for welfare benefits, but only 52% receive them. Some 12% of children are denied access to school, despite federal laws.

MYTH: There are plenty of shelters to assist the homeless.
FACT: 52% of shelter requests by homeless families are estimated to have been unmet (last updated in 2001).

MYTH: Most people in homeless situations are chronically homeless.
FACT: The transitionally/situationaly homeless account for 40-50% and are homeless for 6 months or less; 70% of all those in homeless situations are homeless for less than 2 years. Others who are considered episodically homeless as they move in and out of homelessness account for 20-30% of those in homeless situations. This leaves less than 20% of all those in homeless situations who are actually chronically homeless.

(This picture is of a little girl who is homeless tonight, after the apartment fire destroyed her home. (via Matt Carter's Twitter)

MYTH: People are homeless because they want to be; they're happy that way, i.e..
FACT: The circumstances of homelessness are anything but happy. Families and children lose their homes, rooms, possessions, neighborhoods, friends, schools, pets, security, identity, self-esteem, and on and on.
-- 38% of those in homeless situations report being robbed
-- 41% of those in homeless situations report theift of their property
-- 22% of those in homeless situations report being assaulted
-- 7% of those in homeless situations report sexual assault
-- 1 of 8 women in homeless situations report being raped
-- 26% of those in homeless situations report infectious conditions
-- 46% of those in homeless situations report chronic health conditions related to their living situation and inability to access adequate healthcare
-- 69% of those in homeless situations report being arrested or harassed merely because of being homeless (i.e. they broke no law)
-- Nearly 100% of those in homeless situations report going hungry a portion fo the time they are homeless.

* From my Caritas Training Manual on Poverty & Homelessness in the Austin Area.

Who would choose these things for their life? Please reach out and help those in need as a result of the fire today. Follow @justinlopez on Twitter to get instructions for how you can volunteer, or check the facebook status' of the Austin Stone staffers, or the Stone website will have posts about it. The Red Cross is also asking for financial donations.

Sign up to volunteer collecting, organizing, and distributing donations at Ebenezer Church here.
Sign up to volunteer at Gus Garcia Rec Center (Spanish speakers / kidcare especially needed) here.