Media Campaign Launch:The State of Homelessness in

AmericaJanuary 5, 2011

Introductory Logistics

Lines are muted to facilitate this call.

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If you have questions during the webinar, submit them in the question box on your control panel. We will answer as many as possible at the end of the webinar.

A recording of the webinar will be posted online this week.

Agenda

• Introduction• Report: Overview and Major Findings• Media: Key Messages and Suggested

Strategies• Questions

State of Homelessnessin America

A Research Report on Homelessness

State of Homelessness webinar

• Contents– Homeless counts– Economic indicators– Demographic drivers

• Major findings• Other findings• Notes on data analysis

Homeless counts

• Overall homeless population• Chronic population• People in families• Unsheltered population

Economic indicators

• Severe housing cost burdened households• Unemployed people• Income of working poor people• Foreclosed properties

Demographic drivers

• Doubled up population• People discharged from prison• Young adults aged out of foster care• Uninsured population

Major findings

• Homeless counts– Overall homelessness up 3 percent– Family homelessness up 4 percent– Chronic homeless change was stagnant– 4 out of 10 people were unsheltered

Major findings, continued

• Economic indicators– 72 percent of poor households are severely

housing cost burdened– Unemployment increased by 60 percent– Income of working poor people decreased by 2

percent– Foreclosures increased by over 20 percent

Major findings, continued

• Demographic drivers– Odds of experiencing homelessness

• All of U.S. = 1 in 200• In poverty = 1 in 25• Veteran = 1 in 10• Doubled up person = 1 in 10• Discharged prisoner = 1 in 11• Aged out of foster care = 1 in 6

– Doubled up increased by 12 percent

Other findings

• Examination of places where multiple risk factors exist for worsening homelessness

Notes on data analysis

• Changes are 2008 to 2009• Veterans and youth counts• Data sources• Data adjustments were necessary (see

Appendix)• Our numbers differ from HUD’s AHAR

Questions and answers?

Opportunities• Homelessness Counts• Economic Indicators

– Unemployment– Foreclosure– Real income– Severe housing cost burden

• Demographic Drivers– Doubling up– Aging out of foster care– Release from incarceration– Uninsurance

Talking Points– Maximize the impact and efficacy of federal resources by targeting

strategically and implementing proven strategies.– Bolster ongoing local plans to end homelessness by turning the goals

and strategies of the federal plan into implementable programs and policies.

– Prevent homelessness before it starts by building the proper interventions into our state institutions, including jails and foster care programs.

– As states face further budget cuts and need among people experiencing homelessness rises, funding for key federal programs will become ever more critical.

Strategies– Letters to the editor

• Easier to get published• 150 words or less

– Op-ed submissions• Harder to get published• Between 250 – 500 words

– Pitch emails/phone calls to reporters • Follow up

Tip: Do Your Homework!• READ the paper: get a sense of what they cover and who their

readership is.• Identify the reporters that cover homelessness, poverty, and

social issues – they are most likely to take your call seriously.• Find instructions for letters/editorials online (or call the paper).• Follow those instructions - make sure to STICK to those

parameters – no exceptions! • Follow up!

More Tips

– Be local– Be specific– Be brief– Be relevant– Be actionable

Embargoed

Our report is embargoed until Wednesday, Jan. 12.

You will receive the report on Monday, Jan. 10.

Next Steps• January 5: Sample materials sent via email• January 10: Embargoed copy of the report sent

via email• January 12: Official, public release of the report

Questions? Contact Amanda Krusemarkakrusemark@naeh.org