Visions and Voices of Hope:Homeless as Humans

What do you know about poverty and homelessness in Colorado Springs and the larger community?

How much money do you have in your pocket right now?

A) None.

B) Less than $5

C) Between $5 and $20

D) More than $20

Global Question: How many people in the world do you think live on less than $2 per day?

A) 15% - about 900 million people

B) 25% - about 1.5 billion people

C) 50% - about 3.5 billion people

Answer

C) 50% - about 3.5 billion people in our world live on less than $2 PER DAY.

True or False:

The term “homeless” means that you don’t have a home, and that you live and sleep on the streets or in a homeless shelter.

A) True

B) False

Definition of Homelessness

B) False: The term “homeless individual” means an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of the family), including one whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility that provides temporary living accommodations and who is a resident in transitional housing.

Public Service Health Act, Section 330 (h)(5)(A)

Definition, continued

“A homeless person is an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facility (hotel), abandoned building or vehicle; or in any other unstable or non-permanent situation.” Bureau of Primary Health Care

Do you know someone personally who fits this definition of homelessness?

A) Yes

B) No

How many Americans are homeless at some point over an average year, approximately?

A) 1.3 million

B) 2.8 million

C) 3.5 million

D) 5 million

Answer

C) 3.5 million Americans are homeless at some point during an average year. Additionally, 13.5 million Americans experience homelessness at least once in their lives.

Incidentally, the population of Colorado Springs is 419,848 (2011 est.).

What percentage of homeless are under the age of 18?

A) 5%

B) 15%

C) 25%

D) 40%

D: 40% 42% of these are under the age of five

D) 25% of people who are homeless are under the age of 18.

35% of the homeless population are families with children; this is the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.

1.35 million kids are homeless every year

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Colorado’s is $7.78 per hour…

How much does a family need to earn, per hour, in order to be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment at the average fair market rent?

A) $6.55 C) $12.45

B) $9.50 D) $15.37

Answer

D) $15.37 per hour. That’s almost twice the minimum wage in Colorado.

What if you’re a single parent? What about food? Clothes?

What percentage of homeless adults work regularly?

A) 18%

B) 44%

C) 32%

D) 5%

Answer

B) 44% of homeless adults work during the course of any month, but don’t make enough to afford housing.

1.2 million families are on waiting lists for affordable housing, and are at risk for homelessness TODAY.

The average life expectancy of a US citizen is 77 years old…

What is the life expectancy of a homeless person?

A) 50

B) 60

C) 70

D) 75

Answer

A) 50. This was the life expectancy of Americans in 1900.

Over the last ten years, violence against homeless has increased.

From 1999 through 2005, the National Coalition for the Homeless has documented 472 acts of violence against homeless people, including 169 murders. Who are the most common perpetrators of violence against the homeless?

A) shopkeepers/business owners

B) other homeless people

C) teenagers

D) family members

Answer

C) Teenagers. Most violence against homeless are committed by teenagers looking for a “thrill.”

According to a recent article in the Gazette, how many people in Colorado Springs are homeless on any given night?

A) 4,000

B) 3,000

C) 2,000

D) 1,000

Answer

C) 2,000. However, according to Bob Holmes, the director of Homeward Pikes Peak, the population has doubled over the past five years.

People sleep at a friend’s house, in their cars, on a bench, in a shelter, or in tents in “homeless camps.”

In urban communities, how long (on average) does a homeless person experience homelessness?

A) one year

B) 3 months

C) 8 months

D) 3 weeks

Answer

C) 8 months = 240 days. You think the school year is long? Try being homeless for 100 more days than you’re even in school in a given year!!!

The “Chronic Homeless”

20% of the homeless population is called the “chronic homeless.”

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."

How much, per year, does a chronically homeless person cost us as taxpayers?

A) Nothing. Our tax dollars don’t support homeless people.

B) $500 per

C) $5,000 per

D) $55,000 per

Answer

D) $55,000 per chronically homeless person. This generally covers the cost of uninsured medical expenses.

According to Bob Holmes, if we invested more into programs that prevent and treat chronic homelessness, we could save over $30,000 per year per homeless person.

What percentage of Palmer students are on Free and Reduced lunch?

A) 29%

B) 39.7%

C)12.5%

D) 50%

Answer

B) 39.7%, compared with 48.5% of District 11 students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. Seven years ago, only 21% of Palmer students qualified for free and reduced lunch.

36 million Americans are at risk of going hungry each year; 13 million are children.

From 2000-2006, the rate of children living in poverty in Colorado increased by how much?

A) 73%

B) 3%

C) 50%

D) 20%

Answer

A) 73%. This is the largest rate increase in the country!!!

What do you think are the major reasons people become homeless in today’s society?

Low wages

Family problems

Abuse

Overpopulation

Unemployment

The economic downturn

Natural disasters

Rising house costs

Illness/death in the family

What can we do?