Thousands of Americans in rural, suburban areas turning to homeless shelters for help amid economic crisis, but total number of people chronically homeless during four-year period fell 11%: HUD

Michelle Rivera

WASHINGTON , June 15, 2011 (press release) – As the recession gripped America, thousands more people in rural and suburban areas turned to homeless shelters for help.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said Tuesday in a conference call with reporters that about 40 percent of those who served in the armed forces come from rural areas and homelessness among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans could be a contributing factor. He said the agency is stepping up efforts to combat homelessness near some military bases, and that legislation signed in 2009 by President Barack Obama contained a component that opens the door for more programs targeting homelessness in rural areas.

Families represent a much larger share of the total sheltered population than ever before, the report said. A majority of the homeless families consist of a single mother with young children.

"It's not surprising, given the economic crisis, that we would see an increasing number of families," Donovan said. "I think it is a direct result of the employment, the economic challenges we've seen."

The report said research has shown that families are more likely to become homeless for economic reasons while individuals are more likely to become homeless because of substance abuse and mental illness.

There was a bright spot in the report. The total number of people chronically homeless during the four-year period decreased 11 percent. Donovan said the emphasis on programs to assist the chronically homeless and increase in permanent supportive housing nationwide helps explain why.

And, the number of homeless individuals overall in the United States held steady between 2009 and 2010, the report said.

The worse recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s began in December 2007 and ended in 2009, although unemployment remains at painfully high levels.

© 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.