Homelessness and Poverty Statistics

• Some 37.3 million Americans live in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007)
  
  
• Approximately 3.5 million Americans are likely to experience homelessness in a given year (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2007)
  
  
• An estimated 1.35 million U.S. children will experience homelessness in a given year (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2007)
  
  
• 23% of all homeless people are members of families with children (US Conference of Mayors, 2007)
  
  
• Children under the age of 18 accounted for 39% of the homeless population in 2003 (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2004)
  
  
• 42% of homeless children are younger than 5 (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2004)
  
  
• Five to seven percent of American youths become homeless in any given year. (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2007)
  
  
• More than 1 in 7 homeless children have moderate to severe health conditions, such as asthma (National Center on Family Homelessness)
  
  
• Approximately 40% of homeless men are veterans, although veterans comprise only 34% of the general adult male population. (National Coalition for the Homeless, June 2008)
  
  
• Some 9.9 % of U.S. citizens 65 and older live below the poverty line. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 American Community Survey)

HERE'S LIFE INNER CITY: Since 1983, Here's Life Inner City and more than 1,000 partner churches and organizations have responded to the growing epidemic of poverty and despair in America's inner cities.  Their wide-ranging efforts have provided the poor with food and other basic necessities, life skills, career development and youth development programs.