Homelessness Across U.S. Worsening in Major Cities, West Coast

fisher’s of men” by D.C.Atty licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: BBC

Across the United States, more than 550,000 people are living on the streets on any given night, according to statistics from 2017 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This was the first time that the number has risen in seven years, according to BBC, and surges in homelessness have been most evident along the West Coast and in major cities across the country, including in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

New York City alone had more than 75,000 homeless individuals in 2017 and Los Angeles had more than 50,000. A combination of rising housing costs and the resulting evictions have led to thousands of families ending up in shelters or on the streets.

In some areas such as Portland, the cost of renting a one bedroom apartment is more than $1700 per month, which is unrealistic for a person making minimum wage and paying for health care costs, in addition to other basic living expenses.

Read Full Story: BBC

Justice & Poverty, News
Justice & Poverty, News