1. Homelessness
By: Gisselle Lyon and Peyton Fronek

2. Causes:
-Family problems
-Economic problems
-Residential instability

3. Consequences
• Anxiety and depression
• Poor health and nutrition
• Low self-esteem
• Obtaining education
• Supporting themselves
emotionally and financially.

4. Did you know?
The homeless population is:
-42% African American
-39% American
-13% Hispanic
-4% Native American
-2% Asian

5. Why are children
homeless?
• Poverty
• Family disputes
• Unemployment
• Eviction
• Violence
• Lack of affordable housing

6. Most Common Housing for Homeless:
-Vehicles
-Makeshift housing
-Tents
-Boxes
-Caves
-Boxcars

7. Statistics:
Of 23 cities surveyed…
-94% of homeless people are single adults
-4% are part of families
-2% are unaccompanied minors
In Emergency Shelters…
-70% are single adults
-29% are part of families
-1% are unaccompanied minors

8. What Emotions Can Homelessness Cause?
• Much stress in your life
• Makes you feel powerless
• Makes you feel afraid if you don’t know what is
going to happen

9. Homelessness Over the Years:
• In the 1800’s, homeless people went to almshouses
• In 1987, 1.7 million had mental problems or
couldn’t hold a job
• From 1987-1992, household healthcare payments
rose to 56%
• In 1995, over 37,000,000 Americans lived below
poverty level
• Also in 1995, San Francisco issued over 27,000
arrests and citations

10. WHO are Homeless?
• Large proportion are teenagers
• Runaway or “throwaway” kids whose parents want nothing
to do with them
• ½ of all homeless children in NYC are teens
• 76% of homeless people in NYC are families with children
• Teens are among the fastest growing homeless groups
• 135,000-400,000 veterans are homeless today
• Over 70,000 homeless children don’t attend school
regularly
• There are about 500 street kids in San Diego, CA
• 750,000 Americans are homeless on any particular night

11. What happens to their life:
• More years on the street means they become
less mobile
• Drink more and worry less
• They scavenge, beg, and panhandle
• Majority of homeless people would not say
they chose the lifestyle, but that it just
happened to them

13. Did you know?
According to the National
Coalition for the Homeless,
young people are about
15-20% and almost 1/2
experienced violence in their
homes.

14. City Laws Against
homelessness:
-5 out of 50 cities are named ‘meanest
streets’ because of laws of homeless
residents on public property.

15. Here are some stories…

18. In the U.S...

19. And life in a private
shelter?
Not easy

20. Here’s how YOU
can help!

21. You can help by simply
CAREing:
-Contribute (food drives, money, etc.)
-Advocate
-Reach out (volunteering)
-Educate

22. Needed items include:
• Clothing
• In-kind services and materials
• Household goods and other items
• Books
• Homeless “survival kits”

23. So don’t turn away!
HELP OUT!

24. Bibliography:
• Criswell, Sara Dixon. Homelessness. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1998. Print.
• "National Coalition for the Homeless - How You Can Help End
Homelessness." National Coalition for the Homeless. National Coalition
for the Homeless, 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.nationalhomeless.org/want_to_help/index.html>.
• O'Connor, Karen. Homeless Children. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1989. Print.
• "How Many People Experience Homelessness?" National Coalition for
the Homeless. National Coalition for the Homeless, 15 Dec. 2011. Web.
06 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/How_Many.html>.
• "Why Are People Homeless?" National Coalition for the Homeless.
National Coalition for the Homeless, 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/why.html>.