Posts tagged 2008

What is homelessness?

homelessness is a difficult and complex. So much so that it also

disagreement about the definition of who is truly homeless and who do not. The

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines a person as

“homeless” if he or she:

lives in a shelter or transitional measures / supportive housing for •

homeless, or

•

lives in a place not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks,

abandoned buildings, warehouses and dilapidated buildings

The U.S. Department of Education uses an expanded definition that also

people:

•

doubled with family or friends because of the economic situation

• living in motels and hotels for lack of other suitable accommodation

•

migrant workers live in homes uninhabitable

The State of Georgia, the law that the State Housing Trust Fund for

Created

homeless in 1988, defines homelessness as “persons and families without access

or can reasonably expect to have access to traditional or permanent

housing, to be safe, sanitary, may be reasonable and affordable. “1

Due to variations in the definition of homelessness, this report

mainly used the narrower definition HUD, unless otherwise indicated.

chronic homelessness?

About 25%

homeless population experience periods of homelessness or

were many homeless people episodes.2 These chronically homeless

use a disproportionate share of public services and are vulnerable to everything

homeless. HUD considers someone chronically homeless if he or she is

unaccompanied, has a disabling condition and has been continuously homeless for a

year, he has at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years of 3

What are the effects of homelessness

Homelessness has a profound impact on individuals and families affected

including increased health problems, increased mental health problems, difficulty

maintaining employment, separation of families, and so on. While we can not

sympathize with people who are in a difficult situation, it is fair to ask why the homeless

questions to the community as a whole. Homelessness affects more than just a

individual or a family. It affects the whole community in a number of ways. Cost

Homeless

include:

• poor education and development of children of homeless people

• uninsured medical costs for a population with high disability

• costs of public safety, including the costs of police and prison for crimes such as

begging, vagrancy, strolling or

• sanitation and litter control in parks and public spaces where homeless people

together

• high costs for emergency shelters, transitional housing and support services for

people and homeless families

• high costs for emergency services such as emergency departments and emergency services

and hospitalization for acute and chronic diseases as well as

psychological crisis

•

lost wages and personal income tax that would otherwise be able to work when

they had a fixed address

Myth: The homeless are

appeared in February 2006 in The New Yorker tells the tale of Murray Barr, a man chronicallyhomeless

live in Reno, Nevada. Police

Officers Patrick O’Brien and Steve Johns had many interactions with Murray for many years. They began to count costs such as arrests,

detentions, ambulance and hospital admissions over a period of ten years.

Officer O’Bryan said: “It does not cost us one million U.S. dollars to do something about Murray.”

, “Million Dollar Murray:” The

New York, 13 February 2006

92% of homeless women have

severe physical violence and / or sexual violence at some point in their lives.

, 1 March 2007

People who usually

homeless for longer

time.

information: Research shows that 40% of

were homeless

homeless less than six months

and 70% were homeless

less than two years.

University of Denver, Project Homeless Connect

www.du.edu

homeless

Million-Dollar Murray

2007 Tri-J Homeless Census – Point-In-Time

The family members of people buzzing

%

unprotected 2071 44 2115 31%

Emergency shelter

2027 359 2386 35%

transitional housing 1524 815 2339 34%

total and 5622% (82%) 1218 (18%) 6840 100%

How many people are homeless in Georgia?

difficulties in counting the homeless in a single community, much less one

big state, were detailed by the researchers and advocates

been discussed

homeless. This report will not presume a single, final and indisputable offer

number of people who are homeless in Georgia. However, it is important

have

on a certain understanding of the extent and scope of the problem. Fortunately

a large amount of data from multiple sources are available to indicate how many

people in the state before the terrible prospect of no place to live.

Point in Time homeless Account

The federal government is formed in response to homelessness in the McKinney-

Vento Homeless Assistance Act

, adopted in 1987. The McKinney-Vento programs

are managed by several federal agencies including HUD. To receive federal

financing need to organize community services within a continuum of care umbrella.

In 2003, Congress passed a law that the continuity of care

behavior among homeless time once every two years. Accordingly, each

Georgia

continua of care (COC) have engaged in an effort

Graf

protected and the state of the homeless.

COCs for Chatham, Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties and the consolidated financial statements

governments of Athens-Clarke, Augusta-Richmond, and the behavior of the Columbus-Muscogee

homeless counts annually or every two years. For example, every two years, Metro Atlanta

Tri-Jurisdictional Collaborative Research Center on Homelessness (Tri-J), the City of Atlanta, Fulton

included

County and DeKalb County has to go over 500 volunteers and staff and get all 750

square miles of jurisdiction of 0.00 bis 05.00 clock in search of homeless homeless people.The model of best practice is by interview

streets of the community coordinating

Network for the Tri-J. The same night, leads the Tri-J, a census of need

shelter beds and transitional housing. On 25 January 2007, the number of Tri-J

6840 protected areas and the homeless in the county two area.4

Since the balance of the state takes over 152 counties, many in the country, Georgia

Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has always been an annual assessment carried out

people in emergency shelters and transitional housing, but by 2008 was not possible

way to count the homeless homeless. From this year, the DCA uses a selection

methodology and predictive model of Professors of Statistics at Kennesaw

develops
State

University.5 The methodology, the number of homeless people homeless people in 23 counties reaching an estimated number of homeless people without shelter by county. The count data used

in model numbers 2007 and 2008. The returns for the balance of the state were collected by using surveys primarily in locations where people receive benefits.

, the model shows that there were over 20,000 People in Georgia, homeless at a single point-in-time (a view for a night shot)

the last week of January. The homeless count surveys in January 2008

collected

included a question on the length of time people were homeless. With a weighted average of these responses provides an estimate of more than 75,000 people live

homeless in Georgia at some point during the year.

DCA and other COC lead to new points in time during the last

weeks in January 2009. These figures are an opportunity to refine the number

are

methods and update our estimates for 2009. In addition, the numbers

trend data for the participating municipalities and the state as a whole.

Homeless Management Information System (MAS) data

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has also requested that

continuum of care with a homeless management information system (MAS) for

their state-funded programs for the homeless. In Georgia, all continua

have adopted the use of the same system with

streets of the community

Network. Nationwide, 277 service providers, homeless people use the title of HMIS. In 2007, this

organizations registered 31 195 individuals and family members in various service programs.

Who is homeless in Georgia?

Under the scoring in-time in January 2008, 1578 surveys

unduplicated
brought

of people around the state of the housing difficulties. The

studies on the housing situation of respondents and their families focused

(2041 persons) on the night of 27 January 2008. The housing situation of the survey

respondents and their families is presented in the following table.

861 428 556 196

“Precariously housed”

were classified as people with family or friends

Stay

or in hotels / motels. These people are considered homeless under the more

expansive U.S. Department of Education definition of homelessness, but not at

the definition used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

children were more common in families, housed or precarious life

are

in shelters. Over 71% of respondents were unsure

housed women. Homeless were usually homeless middle-aged adults,

59% of respondents were male. The shelter was almost

Split

evenly between women and men. With the broader definition of homelessness,

the majority of the homeless population are women and children

Georgia.

What are the causes of homelessness in Georgia?

Two factors play a major role in the lives of people who become homeless: extreme

Poverty and vulnerability personal

.

misery

People can be homeless because

:

•

very low income,

• Unemployment or

• Lack of affordable housing available.

income and housing costs

People who are poor

face a much higher risk of homeless. the poorest in Georgia

citizens who earn 50% or less of the poverty line, are especially at risk.

salaries housing 6

Georgia non-metro Atlanta Georgia MSA

annual income required

pay the fair market rent *

apartment with one bedroom, 712, 949, 640

Two-room apartment

, 084, 257, 960

*

Income required to pay the rent and utilities without paying more than 30% of their income for housing

Dr. Larry Keating, then a professor of urban and regional planning at Georgia Tech

a study of households with low or moderate income, the

have
Housing problems

one or more (the cost burden, overcrowding, and / or lack of heating

and a fully equipped kitchen). 7 with data from the census of 2000, Keating was

that 256 146 households (renters and owners) spent 50% or more

their gross income on housing. These are the families for which the cost of housing places

the risk of homelessness. Using these averages, over 725,000 Georgians

live in households paying more than 50% of gross income for housing.

number of people living in poverty in Georgia in 2006: 1.3 million

number of people with an income that half or less of the poverty line (extreme poverty) are: 595 665

were nationwide for every 100 extremely low income tenants 78 rental units they could afford, but only 44 actually available. The others were occupied by households with higher incomes.

Georgia needs a family a year

income of, 084, a two-room

apartment – well above the

poverty rate for a family of four.

Out of Reach 2007 – 2008, national income low

Housing Coalition

Costs charged

seriously

Number of households

Burdened Cost Home

seriously

Owner households

*

97 224

serious cost burdened renters

Households

158 922

*

Households of low and moderate income families pay 50% or more of their income on rent or mortgage and utilities on the basis

on data from the census of 2000

In December 2007, more than 200,000 Georgians receiving SSI (Supplemental Security

Sales

). The recipients of these funds are handicapped by low-income elderly or. The

monthly SSI payment in Georgia (see below) is less than the market value rent for a onebedroom

Flats state.9

2008 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in Georgia 8

SSI Monthly

7

fair market rent for a room 3

personal vulnerability

The other factor that plays a role in many people that homelessness is an experience

personal situation that makes them vulnerable to homelessness, such as:

•

mental illness

•

addiction

• Development

disability or brain injury

physical disabilities or chronic problems •

• Domestic violence

•

prior evictions or bad credit

•

criminal background

Many individuals and families have personal vulnerabilities that place them at

significant risk of homelessness. Disabilities, including mental illness and addiction

and alcohol abuse, terrible damage to people. In the 2007 Metro Atlanta Tri-

Skill Survey reported that about 58% of respondents with one or more

disabilities. Of these 22% had multiple disabilities. A survey of 24 cities, Germany

Conference of Mayors estimates that about 22% of the homeless population

suffers

severe mental illness.10

domestic violence plays a significant role in homelessness among women and

children. were in a 1998 study of homeless parents in ten U.S. cities (most of them

women), with 22%, they had their last residence because of domestic

links

violence.11

can

past experiences and behaviors, significant barriers to individuals and

families trying to escape homelessness. Homelessness can lead to arrests

practices such as trespassing and vagrancy. Crimes such as these, and

beliefs certainly more serious, it can be difficult, a required background

Passport

check if you try permanent rental housing. In addition, some crimes convictions

, it is difficult to get a bed in a shelter. Similarly expulsions before and

bad credit, it can be difficult to rent decent housing at affordable prices.

Households pay more than

50% of gross income for housing.

. Housing needs in Georgia: How

many and who? 21. December 2004

poverty guidelines 2007

Size of family poverty

1, 210

2, 690

3, 170

4, 650

5, 130

6, 610

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/07poverty.shtml

1 July 2007 to 31 May 2008

10 614 homeless children and adults

received services from Georgia

Department of Human Resources

mental health or substance abuse.

If only 11% of the homeless

GA

received any SSI benefits

eligible, the total annual emissions

get the federal dollars to these

households would be

, 412 963.

to help Georgia, people who are homeless?

Nationwide Initiatives

The State of Georgia and several of its municipalities have been active

the problem of homelessness for over 20 years. With the establishment of the State

Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless, in 1988, the State is particularly encouraged help

Individuals and families

end of their homelessness. Today, the State Housing Trust Fund

provides funding to over 200 recipients from the state to implement a variety of

developed strategies to combat homelessness. The funding is a combination of state

Federal

U.S. dollars and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

These strategies include prevention of homelessness, emergency shelter, transitional housing,

care and permanent supportive housing. They also provide funds for

communities to organize exhibitions and resources involved in the homeless count.

Housing Trust Fund provides funds to more than 1,200 rental units

housing for persons and families with disabilities. In addition, the Permanent

support DCA Housing Program provides new resources for development

supportive housing units. State funding and federal permits, local service providers

support for the residents.

Human Resources (DHR) has a number of programs that will help

people and homeless families, the experience, including internal financing

Services

violence by the Domestic Violence Unit to raise awareness of homelessness by

projects to support in the fight against homelessness Transition (PATH) program and accelerated

access to social security disability benefits of the IMS /

SSDI Homeless

Access and Recovery (SOAR) initiative. The SOAR initiative works closely with the

Department of Labor and disability staff to improve the social security

application process for people who are homeless.

Ministry of Education, through the McKinney-Vento Homeless bonds in each

school district offers services for children who are homeless.

services are provided, ensure that children late for school because

homeless. The Department of Community Health, through Health for the

Homeless program provides funds to primary health care for individuals and offer

families are homeless.

There are also several state initiatives that meet the needs of individuals

from state prison released. One such initiative is the partnership between reinstatement

of the State Council to decide the Parole Board, Department of Corrections, Criminal Justice

Coordinating Council and the Department of Community Affairs. The Department

Corrections also has a faith and re-entry initiative. These programs

trial, former prisoners from falling into the prevention of homelessness by them

with opportunities for temporary housing and employment.

coordination and cooperation

coordinate the various initiatives of all government services that work

fight against homelessness, the state of the interwar period homeless

Coordinating Council in 2004. The Council could develop the rule of the

Georgia

year plan to address homelessness. The Council consists of representatives

of several agencies and meets quarterly.

Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness (GCEH) is a nationwide non-profit

and advocacy organization that provides technical assistance and training to the homeless

services, information and lobbying for policy makers and online help

homeless people face. In 2007 reported spending 460 hours GCEH technical

Assistance and training to 132 homeless

provider.

Homelessness

Homelessness has a profound

impact on children. The data from the

U.S. Department of Education (DOE)

point out that if 87% of the homeless

youth are enrolled in school, only 77%

take on a regular basis. Homeless families

move often affect their

children. An institution for children

and poverty study showed that 51%

of homeless children transferred schools

twice or more. There are estimates

that 3-6 months of training is lost

every move.

The Georgian Ministry of Education

collects data from each school district

children homeless. In the

2007-2008 school year, 22 888

children in public schools were Georgia

reported were homeless.

permanent supportive housing beds

Source: 2007 Continuum of Housing Inventories

Care

individual

Beds Beds

family

Emergency shelter

2638 1337

transitional housing 2519 2338

Permanent housing

2318 1493

Total 7475 5168

serve Georgia Homeless:

2007 Statewide inventory

room

local initiatives

Two-body

Metro planning area includes the Regional Commission on Homelessness

Metro Atlanta and the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the homeless. Before

a number of coalitions at the national and regional participation in awareness,

Planning and delivery of services

.

A number of municipalities have federal, state and local resources to create

innovative initiatives to combat homelessness. Some examples of these innovative

initiatives include:

24 / 7 Gateway Center Se rvice o

Atlanta

served more than 12,000 people during the

last two years. Gateway offers 300 beds

for various programs such as mental means

health, employment and addiction.

There is also a center for women and children

with 30 beds.

Athens recently found the first project Homeless

Log

Athens, on the basis of a national model

encouraged by the Interstate Council on Homelessness United.

Athens event had over 140 participants who received a variety of services

including haircuts, medical and dental screening, legal assistance, food stamps

applications and / AIDS HIV. Nearly 50 service providers involved

event.

o An evaluation of educational institutions and community involvement

coupling program (ECSEL) was launched in spring 2005 by the State of Georgia

University in cooperation with the United Way of Atlanta and Grady Health

system. The evaluation was conducted to determine whether the program ECSEL

improved results for homeless mentally ill clients better than conventional

case management services. The approach ECSEL offers more support for

homeless mentally ill in the traditional case management. The study

found an average net savings, 200 per person due to improved

Housing status and reduced incarceration and

hospitalization.12

o Behavioral Health Services Program

Union Mission, Inc. is provided by

Savannah

health behavior cooperation

(SABHC) in partnership with the Chatham-

Savannah Authority for the homeless and

Memorial Health University Medical

Center.13

The program provides mental health and

treatment programs

adults in Chatham and surrounding areas.

services include diagnostic tests,

psychiatric services, day treatment, group

treatment, community support, residential services and use of drugs.

o Hope House Inc Augusta held a ceremony in January 2008

housing project for their ongoing support of “The West Highlands.”

Hope House, Inc. provides long-term housing needs and a “best practice”

therapeutic recovery program for men and women with children

are

suffering from the disease of chemical dependency and co-occurring mental

Health

disease. The property consists of 5.22 acres of land and a building.

rehabilitation of the existing building will be used as office space for hope

House staff and space for clinical care of its customers.

The development also includes the construction of 42 new permanent

housing for its customers. Construction should be completed in a few months.

Cobb County nonprofit organizations are working around r local health care

suppliers to develop alternative investment opportunities for the homeless.

alternatives are needed to more appropriate care settings and reduce

total cost of the health system. Her research in Georgia and other

States shows that buy-in from important to the health system for the development

a sustained program. They hope to start new options this year

unnecessary hospital admissions for homeless people, while more

effectively with the resources of the community.

Macon Housing Authority’s Shelter Plus Care program success

housing assistance with supportive services for homeless people

combined

during the late 1990s. MHA provides housing assistance and the river

Edge Behavioral Health Center has supported services

Help

families. However, both organizations wanted to improve on the model core curriculum.