The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

3. Lack of affordable housing and inadequate housing assistance.
Over half (56%) of Philadelphians pay more than 30% of their income on rent,
which is a reflection of low incomes and unavailable housing, rather than simply
high rent costs.
There are only 41 affordable housing units for every 100 extremely low income
households (those making $23,850 or less per year). This means 60% of
extremely low income households must maintain housing above their means, a
recipe for financial instability.
Roughly 154,000 Philadelphians – more than one in four – live under 30% of the
Area Median Income (AMI) of $38,253.
4. Lack of affordable health care.
In Philadelphia, 10% of residents are without health insurance.
Of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County once again ranked 67th
(worst) for health outcomes and 67th (worst) for health factors including health
behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment.
More than 10% of people who seek substance abuse or mental health treatment
in our public health system are homeless.
5. Inadequate support for mental health and substance use challenges.
In January 2016, one in five people experiencing homelessness had a serious
mental illness, and a similar percentage had a chronic substance use disorder.
Research from the Collaborative Initiative to Help End Chronic Homelessness
(CICH), a joint effort of HUD and Veterans Affairs, found that at program entry,
72% of participants had a substance use disorder and 76% had a mental illness.
6. Racial inequality.
According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and
the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a disproportionate number of
minorities experience homelessness compared to their white counterparts.
Minorities are about 1.5 times – and Black Americans 3 times – more likely to be
homeless than White Americans.
The rate of unsheltered homelessness among Latinx/Hispanic individuals
increased by 35% in 2017, compared to a 6% increase among the non-
Latinx/Hispanic community.
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