Episode 35
Homelessness is a sad but inevitable consequence of modern living…or is it?
While the statistics paint a very sobering picture, digging deep into the subject we find that homelessness isn’t always what we think it is.
Marianne and I welcome homesteading blogger Brad Rowland to this important discussion to share his experiences working on behalf of homeless people in his local Colorado town.
We learn that people find themselves without a home because of a variety of circumstances.
Some are there as the result of violence in their home. Others are veterans having a difficult time re-integrating into civilian life. Substance abuse can play a significant role. Often the cause is merely a bad string of luck.
But is homelessness, in fact, inevitable in today’s society?
Our discussion focused on envisioning a world where homelessness no longer exists and how we can all play a part in bringing this vision to life.
Brad shared a link to some General Homeless Facts via Green Doors:
Who is at risk of homelessness?
The face of homelessness is changing. Though veterans, people with disabilities, and single parent families have always been at high-risk for homelessness, today, more and more of our country’s working poor are struggling with or at risk of homelessness. People recently released from prison and young adults who have recently been emancipated (or aged-out) from the foster care system are also at increased risk of homelessness. And, in Central Texas, the fastest growing homeless population is women and children.
Covenant House – another organization that Brad shared a link to, helps homeless teens and shares these statistics:
Statistics on homeless youth in America
- 57% of homeless kids spend at least one day every month without food.
- In the United States, as many as 20,000 kids are forced into prostitution by human trafficking networks every year.
- According to a study of youth in shelters, nearly 50% reported intense conflict or physical harm by a family member as a major contributing factor to their homelessness.
- More than 25% of former foster children become homeless within two to four years of leaving the system.
- 50% of adolescents aging out of foster care and juvenile justice systems will be homeless within six months because they are unprepared to live independently and have limited education and no social support.
- Almost 40% of the homeless in the United States are under 18.
So how do we create this beautiful world where no one is homeless?
Of course it all starts with us. Check out our discussion for ideas on how you can help to make this dream come true.
