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Amongst families and the rural, homelessness grows
As the recession deepened across the country during the past year, the nation saw a shift in its homeless populations to include more families and more rural and suburban areas.
The number of homeless people receiving shelter in 2008 sat at about 1.6 million, slightly more than in 2007. Yet, the number of those in families rose by 9%, according to the new annual report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Nationally, the report found:
More than half of all homeless people on a single night in January 2008 were found in just five states: California (157,277), New York (61,125), Florida (50,158), Texas (40,190) and Michigan (28,248). Their share is disproportionate, as these states constitute only 36 percent of the total U.S. population.
The stereotype of homeless populations being predominantly male and urban has been turned around with this recession. More and more families -- young mothers with kids -- are finding themselves without shelter. According to HUD's assessment, women make up 81 percent of adults in homeless families, and unlike homeless men, who are usually middle-aged, homeless women tend to be younger than 25 with children younger than 5.