What is Homelessness?

      A homeless individual is defined in section 330(h)(5)(A) as "an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member a family), including an individual whose primary residence during there night is a supervised public or privet facility (e.g. shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle; or in any unstable or non-permanent situation (section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C 254b)

                                            Statistics of Homelessness in Illinois:
                                                Homeless Population - 10, 643
                                                Homeless Families - 1.223
                                                Homeless Students -50,949
                                                Unaccompanied Homeless Students - 5,166


                             Most people experiencing homelessness are individual adults.
       Families experiencing homelessness are usually headed by a single woman who on average is in her late 20's with two or more children, under the age of six.

Should I give homeless panhandlers money? 

Giving money is a quick fix. The best thing you can do is donate or volunteer your time to an organization the helps solve homelessness.











References

Hart-Shegos, E. (n.d.). Homelessness and its Effects on Children (pp. 1-12, Rep.) (A. Ray, Ed.).

HOW YOU CAN HELP. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://streetsteam.org/

Illinois Homelessness Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-statistics/il/#XKeJKUDqLI0.email

The National Coalition for the Homeless. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nationalhomeless.org/