This document contains a quiz about homelessness in Austin, with questions and answers about statistics related to the homeless population such as income levels, health issues, costs incurred, and potential solutions. It finds that a large percentage of the homeless population suffers from poor physical and mental health due to lack of access to healthcare and unsafe living conditions. Providing permanent supportive housing is presented as the most effective solution to improve conditions for the homeless as well as reduce public costs for emergency services. It encourages readers to volunteer or donate to organizations that offer housing, food, and other services to the homeless population in Austin.

1. TAKE 5 MINUTES TO TAKE THIS QUIZ ABOUT AUSTIN HOMELESSNESS

2. (A) 4% Q: What percentage of all renter households in Austin earned under $10,000 in 2008? (B) 9% (C) 13%

3. A: 13% that's 21,700 households

4. (A) $175 Q: What amount of rent can a household earning $10,000 afford before being burdened? (B) $350 (C) $525

5. A: $175 that's all that the budget can handle

6. (A) 1,600 Q: Of the households earning under $10,000, how many receive rental assistance? (B) 2,400 (C) 3,100

7. A: 2,400 leaving 19,300 underserved

8. (A) 2 times Q: Mortality rates are how many times higher among homeless than among the housed? (B) 3 times (C) 5 times

9. A: 3 times higher

10. (A) 32-42 Q: The avg. lifespan is 78, how long is the avg. lifespan of the homeless population? (B) 42-52 (C) 52-62

11. A: Only 42-52

12. (A) $22,000 Q: How much do cities spend per year per chronically homeless people for public resources? (B) $31,000 (C) $40,000

13. $40,000 A: for hospitals, jails, shelters, courts

14. (A) 3 Q: How many more days per hospital visit do homeless people spend compared to the non-homeless? (B) 4 (C) 7

15. A: 4 That averages $2,414 per hospitalization

16. (A) $11,220 Q: Homeless spend more time in jail than non-homeless, costing taxpayers how much per homeless person per year? (B) $13,910 (C) $14,480

17. $14,480 primarily for overnight jail, often for loitering A:

18. (A) $8,067 annually Q: How much more does an emergency shelter bed cost over federal housing subsidies? (B) $11,228 annually (C) $13,001 annually

19. $8,067 per year A:

20. (A) 20% Q: What percent of homeless people did paid work during the last month? (B) 32% (C) 44%

21. 44% worked A:

22. (A) 20% Q: Of those, what percentage worked in a job expected to last at least 3 months? (B) 32% (C) 44%

23. 20% most worked minimum wage or seasonal jobs not paying enough to afford housing A:

24. (A) 27% Q: What percentage of those in homeless situations report being robbed? (B) 32% (C) 38%

25. 38% families & children lose their homes, rooms, friends, schools, pets, identity, self-esteem and more. A:

26. (A) 33% Q: What percentage of those in homeless situations report theft of their property? (B) 41% (C) 55%

27. 41% A:

28. (A) 1 in 3 Q: How many of those in homeless situations report being assaulted? (B) 1 in 5 (C) 1 in 7

29. 1 in 5 A:

30. (A) 1 in 5 Q: How many women in homeless situations have been raped? (B) 1 in 8 (C) 1 in 11

31. 1 in 8 raped A:

32. (A) 17% Q: What percentage of those in homeless situations reporting infectious conditions? (B) 21% (C) 26%

33. 26% A:

34. (A) 29% Q: What percentage of the homeless report chronic health conditions? (B) 36% (C) 46%

35. 46% A: due to living situation and inability to access adequate healthcare

36. (A) 33% Q: What percentage report being arrested or harassed because of being homeless (i.e. they broke no law)? (B) 52% (C) 69%

37. 69% A:

38. (A) 56% Q: What percentage report going hungry a portion of the time they are homeless? (B) 78% (C) 100%

39. 100% A:

40. (A) 7.7% Q: 12.8% of crimes by non-homeless are reported as violent, what percentage committed by homeless are violent? (B) 10.3% (C) 13.9%

41. only 7.7% A:

42. (A) 22% Q: Nationwide, what percent of homeless were in emergency shelters on one single night? (B) 42% (C) 60%

43. 60% A:

44. (A) 22% Q: Nationwide, what percent were unsheltered on one single night? (B) 42% (C) 60%

45. 42% A:

46. (A) 27% Q: Housing the homeless cuts the avg. costs of services they consume by what percentage? (B) 50% (C) 66%

47. 50% A: 99 former homeless received 35% more mental health services at 41% less cost

48. (A) 59% Q: In a recent study, permanent supportive housing reduced emergency room costs by what percentage? (B) 62% (C) 66%

49. 62% A:

50. (A) 59% Q: And permanent supportive housing reduced health care costs by what percentage? (B) 62% (C) 66%

51. 59% A:

52. (A) 59% Q: Permanent supportive housing reduced ambulance transportation costs by what percentage? (B) 62% (C) 66%

53. 66% A:

54. (A) 59% Q: Permanent supportive housing reduced incarceration by what percentage? (B) 62% (C) 66%

55. 62% A:

56. (A) 66% Q: Permanent supportive housing reduced shelter visits by what percentage? (B) 82% (C) 98%

57. 98% A:

58. (A) $26,772 Q: The study yielded a savings of how much per year per permanent supportive housing tenant? (B) $63,425 (C) $93,436

59. $93,436 A:

60. (A) 897 Q: In Central Texas, the Statesman reported how many emergency medical visits in 6 years made by nine people in a study? (B) 1,742 (C) 2,678

61. 2,678 A:

62. (A) $467,990 Q: What was the cost of the 2,678 emergency medical visits? (B) $3,000,000 (C) $27,000,000

63. $3,000,000 A:

64. (A) 3 Q: How many of the nine people studied were homeless? (B) 6 (C) 9

65. only 3 people A:

66. (A) 1,480 Q: Another study showed that of 900 frequent emergency services users made how many preventable visits in one year? (B) 2,123 (C) 2,988

67. 2,123 A:

68. (A) 11% Q: These preventable visits make up what percentage of total visits to Central Texas emergency departments? (B) 15.5% (C) 18%

69. 18% A:

70. (A) Q: What is the answer to all of these problems? (B) do nothing (C) do nothing permanent supportive housing

71. permanent supportive housing A: mobile loaves and fishes offers a “homes on wheels” program to put homeless in a more permanent housing situation

72. feeding the homeless A: mobile loaves and fishes offers food and clothing to the homeless in Austin year round

73. YOU CAN HELP VISIT HTTP://MLFNOW.ORG VOLUNTEER or DONATE MONEY

74. PLEASE VISIT VISIT HTTP://MLFNOW.ORG TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED