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Homelessness
Federal Definition of Homeless
(a) In general
The term ``homeless'' or
``homeless individual or homeless person'' includes -
(1) an individual who
lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence
(2) an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is--
(A) a supervised publicly
or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living
accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and
transitional housing for the mentally ill);
(B) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals
intended to be institutionalized; or
(C) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a
regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
(b) Income eligibility
(1)
In general a homeless individual shall be eligible for assistance
under any program provided by this chapter, only if the individual
complies with the income eligibility requirements otherwise applicable
to such program.
(c) Exclusion the term ``homeless'' or ``homeless
individual'' does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise
detained pursuant to an Act of the Congress or a State law.
Chronic
Homelessness
A "chronically homeless"
person is defined as "an unaccompanied homeless individual with a
disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year
or more, or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past
three years. "
This group represents 10% of the homeless population and consumes 50% of
the resources supporting the homeless.
Poverty
According to thresholds
established by the United States Census for 2004 dollars poverty for a
family of four with two children is $19,157.
The national average for people living in poverty is 11.7%. 14.6% of
the population of Alabama lives in poverty which is approximately
763,000 people.
Housing First
A Housing First approach
to homelessness differs from the traditional shelter-based response of
homelessness by focusing on the root causes of homelessness rather a
reactionary response. A Housing First approach attempts to 1) prevent
homelessness when possible and 2) provide permanent supportive housing
to those who are homeless. A Housing First approach bypasses the
traditional shelter-based model and moves a person who is homeless
directly to permanent supportive housing.
Permanent
Supportive Housing
Permanent Supportive
Housing can take many forms but generally it is affordable housing for
those with low incomes, has no time limits, and offers support services
integrated into the housing. Advocates for Permanent Supportive Housing
claim that it is a cost-effective approach to homelessness, especially
chronic homelessness, which provides stability for families and
individuals while allowing agencies the ability to customize services
around the varied causes of homelessness.
Homelessness in Alabama After 2005
Hurricanes
In Alabama, the principal
administrators of homelessness services and planning are regional
coalitions of Continuum of Care. Having a Continuum of Care is required
by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order
to be eligible to receive grants targeted for the homeless. HUD believes
the best approach for alleviating homelessness is through a
community-based process that provides a comprehensive response to the
different needs of homeless individuals and families. As HUD is the
largest provider of grants for the sheltering of the homeless, the HUD
definition of what comprises a homeless individual or family is what is
commonly used. For the definitions, please refer to the Homelessness
Definitions page of our website.
As part of HUD funding
guidelines, each Continuum of Care is required to conduct a point in
time survey of their local homeless population every two years. Using
the data from the point in time surveys over the past two years,
estimates of the number of people who are homeless in Alabama on a given
night range between 5,000 and 8,000.
The primary source of
funding in Alabama are HUD grants to the Continua of Care. For Fiscal
Year 2005 the State of Alabama received $12,095,259.00 in Homeless
Assistance Awards with an additional $2,141,595.00 in Emergency Shelter
Grants.
Part of the efforts of the
Governor’s Statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness is an extensive
mapping of funding, services, and additional ways to count homelessness
populations. This process is currently underway.
Homelessness in Alabama After 2005
Hurricanes
The counties in Alabama
directly affected by Hurricane Katrina saw dramatic increases in
homelessness populations. According to the Mobile-Baldwin Continuum of
Care for the Homeless Point in Time Count of the Homeless of January
26, 2006 Mobile and Baldwin County saw a 72% increase in the number
of homeless between January, 2005 and January, 2006. There was also a
27% increase in the total number of unsheltered homeless between the
same years. The increased rates of homelessness can be directly
attributed to the natural disasters of 2005 on the Gulf Coast. Before
the hurricanes, Mobile and Baldwin County were seeing a gradual decline
in the number of homeless.
The effects on homelessness
in Alabama from the hurricanes can also be seen in other parts of the
state. For example, in Tuscaloosa County the 2006 Homeless Needs
Survey Results found that 29 of the 129 homeless surveyed, or 22%,
relocated to Tuscaloosa from an area affected by Hurricane Katrina or
Rita. After the point-in-time surveys were conducted in Alabama in
January 2006, FEMA began a gradual phase-out of the motel/hotel voucher
program for evacuees of the hurricanes. In Mobile and Baldwin County
alone, during the point-in-time survey of 2006, there were a total of
1,237 rooms being used as part of the motel/hotel voucher program.
People in FEMA trailers or taking part in the motel/hotel voucher
programs were not considered homeless by HUD definitions for the purpose
of the point-in-time survey and therefore were not included in the
homeless count.
References
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