“We can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing.”
Pope Francis
Homelessness Crisis
Homelessness is something that affects nearly everyone with 59% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck.
In 2024, every group of people, with the exception of Veterans, saw a single night increase in homelessness.
Demographics:
1 in 5 are over the age of 55
People in families represented the largest increase
Black and African American populations were overrepresented; . As only 12% of the US population, Black and African American populations accounted for 21% living in poverty and 32% homeless
Nearly 7 in 10 homeless people with disabilities stay in unsheltered conditions
LGBTQ+ youth experience a 120% higher risk of becoming homeless after coming out to their families
50% of the homeless population spend time in foster care
Policy recommendations include:
- Expanding corporate and faith-based partnerships to reduce reliance on uncertain government funding.
- Protecting and growing federal housing assistance programs like Continuums of Care.
- Reframing public perception to increase support for local implementation of homelessness solutions.
- Promoting subsidiarity, enabling communities to tailor responses based on their unique needs and available resources.
- Leveraging surplus church properties for conversion into affordable housing.
How to get in touch
maddie.wagner0@gmail.com