Issues - Overview
Overview
Chronic Homelessness
Chronic homelessness is defined as long-term or repeated homelessness, often coupled with a disability. Chronically homeless people also contend with physical and mental health problems, and become homeless as a direct result. These conditions are exacerbated by having nowhere safe to live. This frequently leads to hospitalization, institutionalization, even jail.
Family Homelessness
Nationally, every year 600,000 families with 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the United States, making up about 50 percent of the homeless population over the course of the year and last year 1,039 families including 1,497 children were served by emergency shelters alone in Connecticut. More than half (57%) of those children were between the ages of zero and six.
Veterans
According to the 2009 CT Counts Report, 13% of single homeless adults had served in the military. There are over 131,000 homeless veterans in the U.S. The Department of Housing and Urban Development and VA Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) Program provides permanent housing and ongoing case management treatment services for homeless Veterans who require these supports to live independently.
Youth Homelessness
About 50,000 youth in the U.S. sleep on the street for six months or more. This "invisible" population may be youth in the care of DCF, youth who have been physically and or sexually abused, gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender youth who have been kicked out of their homes after 'coming out', adolescent boys who are not allowed in family shelters, and youth who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
Domestic Violence
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, about thirteen percent of homeless families report that they left their last residence due to violence or abuse. Interpersonal and Domestic Violence was the second most common reason among adults in families (21%) according to CT Counts 2009. The consequences of Interpersonal and Domestic Violence can affect survivors’ likelihood of becoming homeless.
Re-Entry
Housing problems, including homelessness, are common among individuals leaving the corrections system. They tend to have limited or low incomes, and, often due to their criminal history, lack the ability to obtain housing through the channels that are open to other low-income people. As a result, one in five people who leave prison becomes homeless soon thereafter, if not immediately.