The Working Poor
Minnesota - Poverty Issues
Findings from the Wilder Survey, 2006
On October 26, 2006, shelter providers counted 6,292 homeless people in emergency shelters and transitional housing programs. An additional 1,421 homeless people were identified who were not staying in any formal shelter or housing program, for a total of 7,713 who were counted that night. Wilder has surveyed this population every three years since 1991. Below are some of their most recent findings.
Homeless Numbers
There is an estimated 9,200 to 9,300 Minnesotans who were homeless on any given night in 2006, and these findings are basically unchanged since 2003.
Increase in mental health issues
In 2006 52% of homeless adults and 54% of homeless youth 17 and younger report a recent diagnosis or treatment for a serious mental illness. In addition, 33% of adults and 24% of youth report cognitive disabilities that make them frequently confused or cause problems in making decisions.
Racial Disparities
While the overall racial composition of Minnesota’s adult population is about 90 percent white, the homeless adult population is 41 percent white, 38 percent African American, 11 percent American Indian, 2 percent Asian, 7 percent Hispanic, & 8 percent other (including mixed race). People of color now make up 66 percent of homeless adults, up from 59 percent in 1991.
Increasing older adult homelessness
Although the percentage of persons 55 and older among the homeless population in Minnesota has not increased substantially, the trend over the past three studies shows an upward trend. In 2006, approximately 375 persons 55 and older were interviewed as part of the statewide homeless study. They are more typically male (81%) and more likely to be U.S. military veterans (44% of men) than the rest of the homeless population.
More Youth
Children, youth, and young adults age 21 and younger make up 47 percent of all homeless Minnesotans identified in the 2006 study. On any given night, an estimated 550 to 650 Minnesota youth 17 and under experience homelessness. In addition, we estimate there are 1,300 young adults age 18 to 21 who are homeless on any given night.
- Children, youth, and young adults age 21 and younger make up 47 percent of all homeless Minnesotans identified in the 2006 study.
- In the 2006 study, 7 out of 10 homeless youth (70%) report previous experiences in a foster home, group home, treatment center, or correctional facility.
- 23% of all homeless adults reported that their first experience with homelessness had been when they were children (under the age of 18).
Working Numbers in Decline
Only 28 percent of all homeless adults were employed in 2006, compared to 30 percent in 2003 and 41 percent in 2000. In the previous six months before the research was done (Oct. 2006), 12 percent of the homeless workers had been laid off. Wages are also lower than in 2003: Of homeless adults working full time in 2006, 64 percent earned less than $10 an hour compared to 59 percent in 2003; 32 percent earned less than $8 an hour compared to 26 percent in 2003. To afford an average one-bedroom apartment in the Twin Cities area ($664 in 2000) would require an hourly wage of about $12.70
Long-term Homeless
Increase In Minnesota, people are considered to be experiencing long-term homelessness if they have been homeless for at least one year, or have experienced four or more episodes of homelessness in the last three years. In 2006, 54 percent of homeless adults were found to fall under the category of long-term homeless, up from 49 percent in 2003.
North Dakota - Poverty Issues and Statistics
Source: Homeless adults and children in Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. Wilder Research, August 2007
North Dakota as a state has a median household income of $39,447, which is below the U.S. median of $44,684. The state also has a 12.1% poverty rate.
Increase in Homeless
In the Fargo-Moorhead area, homelessness increased by 49% from 2003 to 2006. 64% of homeless in 2006 were Men, average age of 44.2. Women made up 34.6% and had an average age of 34.6.
Racial Disparity
Persons of color were disproportionately represented in the homeless population, making up only 8% of North Dakota’s overall population and 39% of homeless adults.
Homeless Parents
Of those who were homeless and parents, 24% reported their child had an emotional or behavioral problem. Of homeless parents, 47% reported that they were not able to get childcare that was needed.
Abuse
26% of women reported that fleeing abuse was one of the main reasons for leaving their last residence. 38% of homeless adults in Fargo-Moorhead area reported being mistreated physically as children. 19% reported being mistreated sexually as children.
Mental Health Issues
When mental illness, substance abuse disorders, chronic physical health problems, and the above disabilities are pooled, 77% of homeless persons in Fargo and in Moorhead have at least one serious or chronic disability.
Homeless Youth
62% of homeless youth (ages 13-20) reported leaving home due to not being willing to live by parents rules, 62% also represents delinquent activities by the youth as a reason, 60% reported frequent fighting with parents or guardians and 49% cited drug or alcohol use by the youth.
Education Numbers
80% of homeless in Fargo have completed at least high-school or obtained a GED. 19% had received special education services while in school. 30% had attended at least some college.
Employment Numbers
Those who reported having a job made up 41% of the homeless population in Fargo, 15% reported working full time. Average income in October was $461 for those interviewed, the median being $360.
Barriers to Employment
40% of those not working reported transportation as a barrier, 33% reported physical health problems, 27% reported lack of housing, 19% reported mental health problems, 15% cited criminal history, 15% reported lack of job experience or history and 15% also reported lack of resources needed to look for work.
(Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau).
Wisconsin – Poverty Issues
Milwaukee County is among lowest income counties in the U.S., with a median income of $31,231 compared to the U.S. median income of $44,684.
Homeless Numbers
Wisconsin’s poverty rate for 12 months in 2004 was 10.7%, meaning 571,000 people (+/- 49 at a 90% confidence interval) were considered to be in poverty during the year.
Source: Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau
Youth Poverty
Nearly one in five children in Wisconsin lives in conditions of significant need, facing real deprivation in the fundamentals of housing and food. In 2004, having risen to a startling 18 percent, the state’s child poverty rate now slightly exceeds the national rate.
Racial Disparity
The 2003–2004 poverty rate for whites in Wisconsin—ten percent—was below the national white poverty rate of 12 percent. But at 48 percent, Wisconsin’s black poverty rate was far in excess of the already extremely high national black poverty rate of 33 percent. Moreover, the 38 percent gap between the poverty rates for whites and blacks in Wisconsin was tied for the largest gap in the country (with Iowa and Maine).
Gender Income Differences
In 2005, the median woman in Wisconsin earned fully 25 percent less than the median man in the state.
Education Facts
Rural residents are more likely to either drop out of high school or achieve just a high school education than their urban counterparts, and less likely to complete some or all college.
Dresser Laura and Joel Rogers. The State of Working in Wisconsin: 2006.
http://www.cows.org/soww/pdf/rp-soww-06.pdf
Center on Wisconsin Strategy.
Minnesota – Homeless Youth Statistics
What does “homeless youth” mean?
"Homeless youth" means a person 21 years of age or younger who is unaccompanied by a parent or guardian and is without shelter where appropriate care and supervision are available, whose parent or legal guardian is unable or unwilling to provide shelter and care, or who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
Why do young people end up homeless?
The most common reasons have to do with poverty, family conflict, child abuse and mental illness and/or chemical dependency issues of the youth or their family members. Most homeless youth, 63 percent, cannot live with their families because of conflict or abuse; 15 percent cannot live with their families because of lack of adequate housing or space; seven percent have been kicked out by their families because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; and another 15 percent have a parent or guardian that cannot provide housing for them because of their own homelessness.
How many are there?
An estimated 22,410 unaccompanied youth are runaway or homeless each year in Minnesota. Approximately 67% or 15,000 are in the Metro area. In 2006, Wilder Research did a point in time face to face survey throughout Minnesota with persons experiencing homelessness. On that one day in 2006, 1041 youth were homeless in MN, 693 in the Metro area, and 377 in Hennepin County.
How many places (beds) are there for homeless youth to stay in the Metro?
There are 81 shelter beds, 124 Transitional beds, and 145 supported housing beds in the metro area. That is a total of 350 housing and shelter opportunities for 15,000 homeless young people in the Metro area over the course of a year.
What happens when a young person can’t find a place to stay?
Some young people couch hop from friend to friend with no permanent place to stay each night. Many youth will not have that option. Some sneak into garages or abandoned buildings. The longer a youth is on the street with no permanent place to call home the more likely they are to find that there are networks of individuals who use homeless youth for purposes of running drugs, prostitution, and sexual exploitation in return for supplying their basic needs. On average, 13 homeless youth die every day from assault, suicide or sickness in the United States.
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