The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound effect on the lives of Americans. Over 1.1 million people died in the United States from COVID-19, and it devastated the US economy for months. But through the concerted efforts of elected officials, healthcare workers, and many other Americans, the pandemic was finally brought under control.
Homelessness is the next epidemic the US must face in the coming years.
Last summer at an Apopka City Council meeting, Matthew's Hope Ministries reported more than 450 homeless individuals from Apopka are currently using their services. City officials were confronted by homeless individuals, community leaders, and non-profit organizations looking to find answers to the growing homelessness affecting Apopka.
To date, the City has not responded to the homelessness issue in any significant way.
In this 4-part series, The Apopka Voice examines homelessness, both nationwide and locally with a goal of narrowing the focus and shedding light on what can benefit the homeless population for the trauma they face every day, and to eradicate homelessness locally.
Yes, it's a lofty goal, but one that needs to be undertaken.
Throughout this series we met with individuals who tackle the situation head on every day. What choices do people face when they become homeless? Why do they remain homeless? What limits are there for those who offer help and outreach?
This exploration is intended to gain much needed insight on what Apopka faces in the fight against homelessness now and in the future.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines homeless as anyone who does not have a "fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." Every January, communities are tasked to count the number of individuals who fit this definition. The results become a focal point to begin discussions within the community on mitigation efforts, affordable housing, and appropriate care responses.
For example, the length and circumstances that bring about homelessness become the defining measure for housing and supportive assistance. The majority are homeless for six weeks or less, but the minority typically have been homeless for more than one year and because of their recurring homeless situations, they are the most visible representations of homelessness in our communities.
It represents the so-called 'tip of the iceberg', where what we see as a society does not represent the actuality of events.
Homeless situations can affect every type of person; however, some are more vulnerable than others. From a national view, the HUD 2020 census before the pandemic shows that the majority are counted as those who are 25 years of age or older (91%), who identify as white (54%), male (70%), and non-Hispanic/non-Latino (80%). In 2020, veterans saw decreased numbers, representing only eight percent of adults experiencing homelessness, down from 12% in 2013.
Of note, the census from 2021 shows unreliable numbers from a lack of contact counting during the pandemic. However, it can be assumed that these numbers have continued their steady increase (with reason to explode) resulting from employment closures during Covid-19. Because of the pandemic's affect, data collected in January 2020 is the most recent year for which completed data can be used for analysis. From this data, we see that in January prior to the pandemic there were more unsheltered individuals than there were sheltered individuals.
HUD has several other definitions for homelessness. Still, we in society often view these individuals in a far different light than the reality of their circumstances.
Categories of homeless include experiences of those who are:
These situations derive from traumatic experiences, and because of this, each human being is left vulnerable and accountable for its effects. Pope Francis calls for Americans to step up and embrace these challenges, rebuking those who turn a blind eye, saying there was "no justification whatsoever for lack of housing."
--Pope Francis
Panhandling is a form of solicitation or begging derived from the impression created by someone holding out his hand to beg or using a container to collect money. It is what many think of when they visualize homelessness.
But panhandling is not what most homeless people do. According to Thomas F. Rebman, only 6% to 8% resort to curbside handouts. In his article, Rebman writes that he was a seventh-grade civics teacher who studied this phenomenon and took a teaching sabbatical for one year to live homeless in 13 cities across America. After five years of extensive research, he concludes that the panhandlers you see on the corners of our streets are not the majority of homeless who are earnestly looking for solutions to their daily struggles induced by acute trauma, chronic illness, joblessness, domestic violence, etc. These are individuals most vulnerable to crisis... good people dealing with life’s struggles.
Yet when disaster strikes, some individuals are navigating these moments alone.
The response to trauma sets the stage for healing. The current homeless situation is far-reaching and difficult to understand from the periphery. The best possible solutions generally involve the whole community. Within it, we are looking for answers to provide healing and hope and mitigate future homeless citizens.
According to a study by Henry, de Sousa, Roddey, Gayen, and Bednar, homelessness has been rising for the past four years nationwide. In 2020, the US numbered 580,466 people in shelters and on the streets. Historically, these numbers have trended way down since 2007, yet from 2019 to 2020; more states experienced increases than decreases. The 2020 HUD Assessment report shows, "Homelessness increased in 30 states and decreased in 19 states and the District of Columbia."
In 2020 over half of all homeless people were in four states: California (161,548), New York (91,271), Florida (27,487), and Texas (27,229). Looking at the per capita rates, New York was highest with 47 homeless out of every 10,000 people, California had 41 homeless out of every 10,000 people, and Florida had 18 homeless out of every 10,000 people.
In 11 Florida suburban and rural areas, Continuum of Care services reported much higher percentages (from 76% to as high as 88%) of unsheltered versus sheltered homeless people. It means that most of the homeless Floridians in those 11 suburban and rural areas are among the highest percentages in the nation for not living in shelters.
Martha Are, CEO of Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, states in her Annual Report for 2021-2022 that based on the cost of housing, "roughly half of all households in the region are one paycheck away from being unable to pay their monthly rent or mortgage." This follows the data that shows more than 80% of US households below the federal poverty line spent at least 30% of their incomes on rent.
In 2018, the Annual Review of Public Health reported public expenditures for homeless shelters exceeded $7,000 per month per family. This number does NOT factor in the additional costs of inpatient hospitalization, incarceration, and public assistance expenditures.
The annual review also reveals a global survey of countries stating that housing insecurity is the crux of homelessness, estimating that as many as "one in five people experience housing insecurity"
Unless significant action is taken, those on the periphery will fall into the homeless epidemic, and the cost to repair will only get higher.
In part two of this series, The Apopka Voice looks at our local service providers to witness firsthand efforts, challenges they are facing, and the shelters that accommodate the Apopka homeless populations.
