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Facts about Homelessness
Myths about Homelessness
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Homeless people are lazy and don’t want to work.
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Getting a job will keep someone out of homelessness.
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Homelessness is a long-term problem.
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Homelessness is always related to mental illness.
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Most homeless people are addicted to drugs and alcohol.
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The homeless are older and single.
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Homelessness is only a problem in big cities.
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Homeless people live on the streets.
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Homelessness is going away.
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650,000 people in the US are homeless at any given time
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California reported the largest increase in homelessness in the nation from 2016 to 2017 with 16,136 additional people experiencing homelessness on a given night. Total number lived unhoused in 2017 was 134,278.
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About 25% of people who are unhoused are children.
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Unaccompanied minors under the age of 18 total 4,800 nationally.
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24% of individuals and 5% of people in families meet the definition of being chronically homeless.
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Although recent numbers indicate hope, thousands of individuals who are unhoused are veterans. A total of 57,000 of them chronically homeless.
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Lack of affordable housing is the primary cause of homelessness.
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Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness among women.
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Many people are homeless because they cannot afford rent. There are fewer places for poor people to rent than before.
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Approximately 20% of all people who are homeless suffer from untreated mental illness, much higher than 6% of the general population.
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People who are unhoused are often perceived as violent but are in fact victims of attacks.
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Providing people with homes costs less than leaving them homeless.
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