Scholarships. And other great ideas.

The problem of homelessness in Minnesota is worse today than it was in 1980 and far worse that it was in 2000.

There are many issues surrounding homelessness.

It begins as a housing issue, but it is so much more. Homelessness and affordable housing are connected.

The cost of housing has risen so dramatically that even though a person may have a job, they don’t have enough money for shelter. By national standards, housing is affordable if it makes up 30% or less of a household’s gross income. Many people have to spend far more and then don’t have the resources for food, clothing, transportation, childcare and health care.

The economy, declining wages, loss of a job, poor job skills and insufficient educational training are all causes of homelessness. When a person lacks a phone number, permanent address or place to clean up and dress, it is hard to find or maintain a job.

Children are also victims of homelessness. A recent survey of homelessness in Minnesota conducted by the Wilder Research Center, found that “an estimated 10,600 children were either homeless or living in temporary arrangements on any recent night.” They also found that there are more homeless children today than all of the homeless people combined in 1991.

Homeless children face critical issues. They can suffer physical, psychological, and emotional damage. Poor nutrition and a high rate of infectious diseases, asthma and related conditions are prevalent. Health care is spotty at best. For children with illness, their conditions often accelerate. Their cognitive, social and behavioral development as well as academic performance is hindered because homeless children don’t have a stable home.

Many homeless children experience delayed development, such as delayed speech. Older homeless children also experience developmental delays, emotional and behavioral problems and learning disabilities.
The 2007 Wilder study gathered information during interviews with 3,700 homeless people around the state of Minnesota. They found that 52% of homeless adults suffer from a chronic mental condition; 53% of homeless youth have been the victims of domestic violence; and 25% of homeless men are military veterans.

Here’s a summary prepared by Paul Mattessich, Wilder Research executive director, in April 2007.

** About half of the homeless in Minnesota are female; about half are male. This surprises many people.
** Very young adults (18-21) and the “middle aged” (35-54) tend to be over-represented among the homeless, relative to their proportion of the total state population. Older people (55+) are definitely under-represented among the homeless; people 55 and older comprise 28% of the state’s adults, yet only 8% of homeless adults.
** Homeless adults tend to have less education than adults in general. For example, 63% of the state’s adults over age 25 have some education beyond high school; 32% of homeless adults have that level of education.

The most striking demographic data relate to race:
** Blacks/African-Americans constitute 38% of homeless adults in contrast to 3% of Minnesota’s adult population.
** American Indians constitute 11% of homeless adults in contrast to 1% of Minnesota’s adult population.
** Latinos constitute 7% of homeless adults in contrast to 3% of Minnesota’s adult population.
In short, groups of color are over-represented among the homeless.

Children also deserve some note:
** Of the roughly 9,200 homeless persons, about 3,400 are children.
** 2,800 of these are with their parents. This is more than the 875 that we found back in 1991.
** 600 are on their own
** Among children with their parents, about half are preschool age.
** The youngest child whom we interviewed living on their own was age 11.

For more information contact:
Laura DeRosier
Housing Homelessness Coordinator
St. Louis County Public Health & Human Services
(218) 725-5236
http://headinghomeminnesota.org/saint-louis/
DeRosierL@co.st-louis.mn.us