When you hear the word bum or homeless person you might immediately think of an older man in rags, but that is not the reality. In fact, the largest growth sector in homelessness is homeless families.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development’s latest Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) claims that 37% of the total homeless population are persons in families. These families are described as typically consisting of a mother and two or three children. Around half of these children are under the age of six.
Gender roles are changing, especially in my community (Washington DC area) where at least 18,000 people were homeless over the course of last year, one of the highest rates in the country.
According to The Washington Legal Clinic, families represent 30.4% of DC’s homeless population, while single women are almost 20%.
2 responses
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Daniela V gave props (14 Aug 2009):
Awsome shot...Very cool portrait and lighting. voted!
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John Linton gave props (11 Dec 2009):
Wicked cool entry.
