Housing Insecurity Steadily Rises
Housing insecurity plagues the lives of millions in the United States, with the number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time on the rise. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that the number of temporary and permanent shelter beds is increasing, providing immediate shelter for those in need and long-term stability for those facing homelessness regularly. These shelters receive government funding. However, due to the rising rates of homelessness in the United States, many shelters have been unable to fully keep up with the demand, making it difficult to provide for those facing housing insecurity.
While homelessness is a type of housing insecurity, not having access to an affordable, safe home also constitutes a type of housing insecurity.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition explains that for every 100 renters making less than 30 percent of the median income in the surrounding area, there are only 34 affordable and available units. This alarming statistic emphasizes an overall lack of affordable housing options, leaving many Americans cost-burdened and or at risk of entering homelessness. As a result, renters are more at risk of experiencing homelessness due to the inability to afford rising costs in rent without an adjustable change in their incomes.
People experience housing insecurity disproportionately. Many marginalized communities face more barriers when it comes to housing security in the United States. People of color, the Queer community, people with disabilities and low-income individuals are more at risk of facing housing insecurity. This inability for marginalized communities to access affordable, safe housing is itself a social and systemic issue. Historically, people of color have been prevented from freely accessing housing opportunities and financial resources.
Today, the U.S. H.U.D. reports that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, Indigenous individuals and Black people are at higher risk of experiencing homelessness due to discriminatory, systemic housing exclusion. Additionally, gender-expansive people are more at risk of experiencing homelessness than cisgender people. The rate of homelessness among transgender individuals has increased by 217 percent since 2015 while increasing by 14.5 percent for cisgender people. Furthermore, people with disabilities often face housing discrimination due to economic exclusion and high eviction rates. People with disabilities living without shelter are at an increased risk of developing greater health-related concerns and an overall inability to access affordable medical care.
These statistics emphasize the need to address the systemic barriers that often go unseen and undiscussed. There are extensive racial and economic disparities that make it difficult, and frequently impossible, for certain groups of people to access safe and affordable housing. Although homelessness is on the rise, that does not mean that it is an unsolvable problem. By examining how homelessness impacts groups of people disproportionately, we are better able to understand how to meet the actual needs of these communities.
Everyone deserves access to safe and affordable housing, and there are many efforts across the country working towards tangible change. Nonprofit organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the National Alliance to End homelessness, along with local community resources such as shelters and advocacy groups, are working to help create more opportunities for those most at risk of experiencing homelessness in the United States. On a smaller scale, we are all able to enact social change by volunteering with such groups and continuing to educate ourselves on the communities impacted by housing insecurity.