Student homelessness at all-time high in Washington state

[Hannah Bell]

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) reported in December that 21,826 of Washington state’s 1.04 million school children were homeless in 2009-2010. This represents a 5 percent increase from 2009 and a 56.5 percent increase from 2005-2006. Child homelessness overall totaled 24,038, placing Washington 25th in the nation...

For school children, year over year, the number living in motels was up by 12 percent, whereas those that doubled up with friends and relatives increased by 9 percent. The higher rates of change in these two figures—as compared to the 5 percent increase in child homelessness overall—reveal a pattern of homelessness creeping up on previously stable families as well as the overcrowding of homeless shelters.

According to a December 2010 US Conference of Mayors study, the three most common causes of homelessness in families are unemployment, lack of affordable housing, and poverty.

According to a study by budgetandpolicy.org published in March 2009, a full-time worker earning the then minimum hourly wage of $8.07 in Washington needed to work close to 80 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, to afford a two-bedroom apartment built under HUD Section 8 regulation—a program that purports to provide more affordable housing to poor people. This is in fact the 40th percentile of market rents and many needy people are compelled to rent at higher rates.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/jan2011/wash-j25.shtml

[dkf]

1. Moving in with family members is being homeless?

Gosh I hate to see what Hawaii's homeless numbers look like in that case. We often have 3 generations under one roof.

[Ilsa]

2. Yes, if a family had to leave their apt or home to live

with family because a provider lost their job, etc, then they are "homeless" by the school's definition. They would be without shelter except by grace of a friend or family member.

[ipaint]

3. As long as you can squeeze two to three families who can't afford an apartment

into a relative or friends home those folks aren't homeless? What do you do measure how many people can fit into a residence like they do in camping tents. Lay them out on the floor side by side in sleeping bags and count how many fit?

That's considered a home, a space on the floor and a suitcase with belongings in it. People and children cannot be counted as without a home who are in this situation?

I guess those folks in hotels aren't homeless either, it's a roof right? There problem solved. No more homeless increase and the filthy rich are given a pass again.

Your comment reminds me of what barbara bush said about the katrina victims lined up sleeping on cots in and arena-

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this--this (she chuckles slightly) is working very well for them."

[Hannah Bell]

4. ...

[Starry Messenger]

5. recommend.