1. HOMELESSNESS IN WASHINGTON STATE
MYTHS AND SOLUTIONS
Bill Block

2. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT?
On the street
In emergency shelter
In transitional housing

3. Homelessness is the Bellwether for Our Society
Homelessness is the bellwether for our society; it tells us whether our economic system is working, whether our mental health system is working, whether our criminal justice system and child welfare systems are working.
Father Stephen Sundborg, at a meeting of the Committee
to End Homelessness

4. Myth: Homelessness is mostly older white guys

5. BACKGROUND: Racial Make Up of Persons below 30% AMI in King County

6. ALL PERSONS

7. FAMILIES – WITH CHILDREN

8. Myth: Homelessness will always be with us

9. HOMELESSNESS CAN BE ENDED: SEE VETS

10. Myth: Homelessness is mostly caused by mental illness or chemical dependency

11. Causes of Homelessness Street Survey

12. What percentage of households in Washington State are paying more than 30% of their income on rent?
35%

13. What percentage of households in Washington State are paying more than 50% of their income on rent?
15%

14. Cost Burdens for WA Households Under 100% of Area Median Income

15. What do you need to make per hour to afford a two bedroom apartment in Washington State?

16. According to a national study, for every $100 increase in rent, there is a 6% to 32% increase in homelessness.

17. In the Mental Health America 2015 Survey, Washington State ranked 48th in terms of mental health services.
48th in the nation

18. 40% percentage of youth on the streets came directly from foster care.
(Columbia Legal Services: 

19. 20% percentage of people leaving prison become homeless soon thereafter.

20. 58% percent of unsheltered homeless women reported having experienced severe physical or sexual abuse.
58%
Correct Answer: c. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP), more than 90 percent of homeless women are victims of severe physical or sexual abuse, and escaping that abuse is a leading cause of their homelessness.

21. Myth: Homelessness is a New York problem

22. West Coast vs Rest of Nation

23. West Coast vs Rest of Nation

24. Myth: “If you build it, they will come.”

25. Some people just want to be homeless

26. THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
HOUSING FIRST

27. THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
RAPID REHOUSING

28. THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
FAMILY REUNIFICATION

29. THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
COORDINATED ENTRY

30. THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
BY NAME LISTS

31. OPPORTUNITY VOUCHERS THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
Children whose families moved to a lower-poverty area when they are less than 13 years old:
have an annual income in their mid-20s that is $3,477 (31%) higher;
are 16.5% more likely to attend college and attend better colleges;
are 30% less likely to be single parents themselves (for females)
The researchers estimate that moving a child out of public housing to a low-poverty area when young (at age 8 on average) using an MTO-type experimental voucher will increase the child's total lifetime earnings by about $302,000.

32. DATA MATTERS THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
Length of Time Persons Remain Homeless
The Extent to Which Persons who Exit Homelessness Return to Homelessness
Successful Placement from Street Outreach
Successful Placement in Retention of Permanent Housing

33. SO WHY IS HOMELESSNESS INCREASING?
Family stability and composition have been stable since 2011
Employment levels are stable
Opiate use has increased, but overall alcohol and other drug dependence has decreased more since 2012
Educational attainment and skills are trending upward
Prevalence of domestic violence does not appear to be increasing

34. THE HOUSING CRISIS

35. THE HOUSING CRISIS