More residents on the verge of homelessness

They rely on family and friends and put strain on local resources.

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By Matt Sanctis, Staff Writer 9:20 PM Saturday, February 4, 2012

Housing experts in Champaign County have seen a rapid rise in the number of men and women on the edge of homelessness and believe the real numbers are likely worse.

Officials said they are better at finding shelter for those already homeless, but it is often more difficult to assist those who are on the edge of homelessness.

In Champaign County, that number has increased 59 percent since 2009 from 111 people to 176, the county’s Continuum of Care reported. The total number of homeless individuals in Champaign County increased from 152 people in 2005 to 191 last year.

Jackie Sudhoff, development programs administrator for Springfield, said as more residents struggle to stay in their homes, more local resources are expended.

For example, those on the edge of homelessness are more likely to seek medical assistance at an emergency room. But more importantly, she said, it affects the fabric of the community.

“They’re our neighbors,” Sudhoff said. “They’re citizens in our community who are struggling.”

People precariously housed often live paycheck to paycheck, relying on family or friends as they exhaust their resources to stay out of homeless shelters.

As families take additional people into their homes to help, it can often increase the financial burden on them as well.

Statistics from state and national sources show it’s not just a local issue. Many communities are still seeing the devastating results of the recession.

Annual counts in Clark County have also shown an overall increase in the number of homeless. The number of residents living in shelters in Clark County nearly doubled since 2010, from 99 to 181 now. In 2010, 71 unsheltered individuals lived in the county. That dropped to 48 in 2011, but a preliminary count shows the number rose this year to 58 residents without adequate shelter.

The figures were gathered as part of a Point in Time study used to provide data to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which helps determine how funding is distributed throughout the state.

Linda Rudawski, adviser for the Champaign County Continuum, said the number of precariously housed is important because it indicates that the economy is still struggling.

“Having an increased number of precariously housed is a result of many things, but the majority report it being caused by economic challenges, a lack of jobs that pay a living wage, lack of training to be employable to earn a living wage, and if they are eligible for higher paying jobs outside of the county, there often also exists a lack of transportation to travel to the place of employment,” Rudawski said.

Elaina Bradley, executive director of the Interfaith Hospitality Network in Springfield, said her agency does not specifically track precariously housed individuals because it is difficult to get an accurate count. Many individuals in that situation are reluctant to discuss their problems with local housing specialists, making it difficult to judge the true number of individuals on the edge of homelessness.

But Bradley said her agency has also seen a surge in homelessness overall, meaning the number of precariously housed also likely increased.

In 2010, the agency served 387 individuals at Norm’s Place, a shelter for families and single women. By 2011, that number had increased to 507. At the Hartley House, a shelter serving single men, the agency provided shelter to 102 men in 2010 and 142 in 2011.

Along with battling depression, a felony conviction has made it particularly difficult for Steve White to find steady work. For the last two years, he has lived in Urbana with a friend he met at a previous job.

Without the assistance of his friend, White said he would likely be living in a shelter now.

On most days, White says he visits the Champaign Technology and Employment Center to look for work. He helps out around the home when he can. White said he often does the dishes, performs basic maintenance on his friend’s car and helps out in the garden. But without steady work, his financial contribution is minimal.

“A lot of people don’t see this as homelessness,” White said of his situation. “With me through the grace of God and friends, I’ve been able to avoid that. At the same time personally, I’m always concerned about my contribution to the household, which is basically zero. I stress out about that a lot.”

White said his friend owns the home, which helps. But paying utilities is sometimes difficult, and he’s not sure what will happen when his friend’s unemployment runs out later this year. He said the real problem is there aren’t enough opportunities out there right now.

“When I can’t find gainful employment some place, it’s just defeating,” White said.

According to a 2011 Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage report from the U.S. Census Bureau, the number and percentage of doubled up households in the U.S. increased over the course of the recent recession.

In spring 2007, the number of doubled up households in the U.S. was estimated at 19.7 million. By spring 2011, it had increased to 21.8 million. An estimated 5.9 million adults from 25 to 34 lived with their parents in 2011, compared to 4.7 million before the recession.

Suzanne Gravette Acker, a spokeswoman for the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, said that during the recession, many agencies throughout the state were also able to use federal funding from the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing program. The funds were used in many cases to identify individuals on the edge of homelessness and either assist them with finding low-cost housing or keep them from losing their homes. But she said most agencies across the state have already spent those funds, which expire later this year.

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