STATISTICS
On an average night in Detroit, more than 10,000 individuals and families are homeless. COTS’ Emergency Shelter operates at or near capacity consistently throughout the year, providing approximately 50,000 shelter nights each year to about 2,800 homeless individuals and families. Michigan is ranked fifth in national homelessness polls.
Trends largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the past 15-20 years are a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty. In 2009, a worker needed to earn $14.97 an hour to afford a one-bedroom apartment and $17.84 to afford a two-bedroom apartment. Minimum wage is $7.40 an hour. The Fair Market rent of a two-bedroom apartment in the Detroit area is $805.00. According to HUD, rentals have increased by 41% since 2000. Other factors leading to homelessness include lack of gainful employment opportunities, increasing costs or lack of health care, domestic violence, dwindling public assistance, mental illness and addicition.
An increasing number of people who are homeless are the working poor, people whose low-wage jobs do not enable them to maintain themselves and their families in permanent housing. percent of our shelter guests who are able to work do so while residing at COTS.
The largest growing population of the homeless is homeless families. At COTS, 35% of our shelter guests are children who enter the shelter with their families.
Other alarming statistics about homelessness:
- Michigan is ranked 5th in the United States and 1st in the Midwest for number of homeless
- residents. California is ranked 1st in the nation. (Source: U.S. Department of Housing and
- Urban Development Annual Homeless Assessment, 2008)
- 50% of actual homeless in Michigan are adults and
- children in families.
- Average age of adults is 32.7 years old
- Average age of children is 7.6 years old
- 69% are single female head of household families
- 54% of homeless persons in families are children
- First time homeless increased 9 percentage points from
- 45% to 54% of the total homeless.
- 3% are veterans
To learn more about homelessness, its causes and solutions, please go to the links below:
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Law Center On Homelessness and Poverty
Corporation for Supportive Housing
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness
Research Group on Homelessness and Poverty
City of Detroit
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority
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