Older adults are becoming a larger segment of the homeless population.

With home foreclosures on the rise and fewer public service dollars available, homeless older adults (62+) are among the fastest growing and most vulnerable homeless populations in Los Angeles, a new study has found.... "Sadly, homelessness among older adults is a growing problem as the population of baby boomers ages," Nan Roman, President of the National Alliance to End Homelessness said. "Few studies have focused on this disadvantaged population, so we are happy to see that the Shelter Partnership has invested in solid research that has pinpointed an effective solution -- affordable housing with supportive services -- that can be applied not only in L.A., but nationally as well," Roman added. Highlights of the study's key findings include:

• At least one-third and perhaps as many as one-half or more of homeless older adults are chronically homeless
• Over two-thirds of homeless older adults are male
• Fifty-seven percent of homeless older adults are Black, while Latinos or Hispanics represent between 14-15% of the population

MARCH 21, 2008, Major Study on Homeless Older Adults Unveiled, PNN Online, http://www.pnnonline.org [posted 1/22/2009]

Families with children are becoming homeless in increasing numbers.

More families with children are becoming homeless as they face mounting economic pressures, including mortgage foreclosures, according to a USA TODAY survey of a dozen of the largest cities in the nation. Local authorities say the number of families seeking help has risen in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle and Washington. "Everywhere I go, I hear there is an increase" in the need for housing aid, especially for families, says Philip Mangano, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which coordinates federal programs. He says the main causes are job losses and foreclosures. Other factors have been higher food and fuel prices hitting families with "no cushion," says Nan Roman of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.... "We saw family homelessness began to increase last winter," says Sally Erickson, Portland's homeless program manager. "There's definitely a spike in the last six months." The number of requests for emergency shelter doubled from fiscal year 2007 to fiscal 2008, which ended in June. Foreclosures Jan.-Aug., 2006: 801,354, 2007: 1,341,295, 2008: 2,049,782, Source: RealtyTrac

OCTOBER 21, 2008, Homeless Numbers 'Alarming', USA Today, by Wendy Koch, http://www.usatoday.com [posted 11/6/2008]

The foreclosure crisis is impacting families and communities in many far reaching, negative ways.

The negative impacts of foreclosure on communities are far reaching.... Not only are people losing homes, but also communities are suffering economically, physically and socially....

• Communities Suffer From Increased Crime: ...Thieves are breaking into houses and stripping them of valuables....
• Communities Take Financial Hit: ...The lower property values caused by foreclosed homes lead to a smaller tax base....
• Youth Experience Stress and Instability: ...Over 1.95 million youth are affected by foreclosure. Foreclosure produces a negative environment for raising youth....
• Displaced Residents Struggle to Find Shelter...
• Communities Are Blighted by Neglect: When homes are abandoned because of foreclosure, the properties and communities begin to deteriorate....
• Minorities Are Impacted Disproportionately: ...According to a 2008 report by the nonprofit policy center United for a Fair Economy, "the foreclosure crisis will result in the greatest loss of wealth for people of color in recent U.S. history." The report estimates that "black borrowers will lose between $71 billion and $122 billion, while Hispanic borrowers will lose between $76 billion and $129 billion (Rivera 2008)."

AUGUST 2008, Seven Ways Foreclosures Impact Communities, by Christine Vidmar, NeighborWorks America, http://www.nw.org/network/neighborworksprogs/foreclosuresolutions/reports/documents/7ForeclosureImpacts.pdf [posted 11/6/2008]

Children are especially negatively impacted by the mortgage crisis in ways that can affect them long-term.

...Largely over the next two years, an estimated 2 million children will be directly impacted by the mortgage crisis as their families lose their homes due to foreclosures. These children are not just losing their homes, but they also risk losing their friends, schools, and in many ways, their childhood.... Across the country, school districts are seeing spikes in the number of homeless children entering their classrooms, much of which is being attributed to the mortgage crisis.

• EDUCATIONAL IMPACTS OF MOBILITY: Research shows that children who experience excessive mobility, such as those impacted by the mortgage crisis, will suffer in school....
• BEHAVIORAL ISSUES IN CHILDREN: We should not be surprised to learn that student mobility is also associated with poor and delinquent behavior....
• CHILD HEALTH CONSEQUENCES: The mortgage crisis also places a child's physical health at risk.... One study found that working families spending more than half of their income on housing have less money available than other families to spend on such crucial items as health care and health insurance....

MAY 2008, The Impact of the Mortgage Crisis on Children, by Philip Lovell and Julia Isaacs, First Focus, http://www.firstfocus.net/Download/HousingandChildrenFINAL.pdf [posted 11/6/2008]