Homelessness in King County...
- Over 8,900 people are homeless on any given night in King County.1
- More than 2,600 homeless men, women and children were found unsheltered in King County during the One Night Count.1
- Leading causes of homelessness include lack of affordable housing, mental illness, low-paying jobs, substance abuse, poverty and domestic violence.2
- 48 percent of the shelter population has been homesless one year or longer.1
- 1 out of 7 people cited domestic violence as a significant factor in their homelessness during the 2008 One Night Count.1
- 19 percent of people living in King County shelters are employed.1
- 30 years ago, the average age of homeless men served by the Mission was 55, today it's 40.
Hunger...
- Causes of hunger are due to unemployment, medical or health costs, substance abuse, high childcare costs, and mental health.2
- Children under nourished can experience difficulty in comprehending basic skills and have a decrease in overall learning ability.3
Affordable Housing...
- The average wait time for public housing in Seattle is one to two years.2
- The Seattle Housing Authority receives 400 applications per month.2
1 Seattle King County Coalition for the Homeless, One Night Count http://www.homelessinfo.org/
2 Hunger and Homeless, 2003 The United States Conference of Mayors, http://www.usmayors.org/
3 Hunger and Food Insecurity Reach Chronic Highs; Center of Hunger and Poverty, http://www.centeronhunger.org/
Additional Resources
Eight Ways to Truly Help the Homeless
For more information about Homeless in the Puget Sound area, please visit some of the following sites.
http://www.endhomelessnesswa.org/index.html
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