Wilder Research
reports 9,300 homeless Minnesotans
Lutheran Social Service resolves to continue fight against the causes
of homelessness in Minnesota
Wilder Research reported
today that 9,300 Minnesotans are homeless on any given night. Of that
number, 2,700 are children with parents and 600 are youth by themselves.
If you add all numbers of children, youth and young adults 21 and younger
who are homeless, that figure represents the largest segment of
Minnesota’s homeless population, or 47%.
Lutheran Social Service of
Minnesota (LSS) uses the Wilder Report findings to help tell the story of
homelessness and its impact on Minnesotans each time it is released.
The new statistics are part
of a one-day survey taken October 26, 2006 by Wilder Research, an
organization that conducts a similar survey every three years to gauge
trends in homelessness.
For families, several
factors contributed to unstable housing situations. 52% of homeless
Minnesotans said they suffer from mental health issues, 39% said they were
unable to afford rent, 31% lost a job or had hours cuts, 27% had a
chemical dependency diagnosis, and 25% experienced a break-up with a
spouse or loved one. Young people unaccompanied by parents face multiple
challenges. More than half of youth said they have experienced physical or
sexual abuse, 49% of youth said they suffer from mental health problems
and 34% of youth said that neglect by parents played a role in their
homelessness.
“The new numbers affirm what
we have long known: Minnesotans who are homeless need a roof over their
heads, but also supportive services to help them address personal issues
that are preventing them from being stable and self-sufficient,” explained
Bill Vanderwall, vice president of Family Services for Lutheran Social
Service (LSS). “We also know that children and youth represent our largest
homeless population, and that 23% of homeless adults reported that they
were homeless as youth. We need to solve homelessness to prevent these
kids from growing up into a life on the streets as adults. Every child
deserves a safe, supportive place to live.”
The Wilder Report indicated
that more youth are being turned away from available services due to lack
of space and funding. A key point is this: While half of all youth who are
homeless and living without parents see the possibility of returning home,
the other half says that they can’t go home, because of serious family
conflict, abuse or chemical dependency issues.
Statewide, Lutheran Social
Service serves over 6,500 homeless youth and families through a variety of
services, including transitional housing, supportive housing services,
emergency shelter and street outreach.
Vanderwall said the good
news is that state initiatives and several county-led efforts are
gathering steam to end all homelessness in Minnesota by 2015. Lutheran
Social Service is among a growing number of organizations endorsing these
plans and seeking resources to implement them, including legislation now
under consideration in Minnesota to expand emergency shelter, transitional
housing and outreach services for homeless youth, along with other
affordable housing initiatives.
For more information on the
Wilder Report on Homelessness access the following web site:
www.wilder.org
For information about
Lutheran Social Service, access this web site:
www.lssmn.org
