On December 9, 2008, the Delaware News Journal reported that a growing number of people in Delaware who have been squeezed by rising rents and declining wages over the past several years, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Census data shows that:

•Median monthly rents, meaning half of renters pay more and half pay less, rose by 13 percent to 14 percent since 2000.

•Median household incomes dropped by 12 percent to 18 percent during the same period.

•A third to more than half of renters spend at least 35 percent of their income on rent, even though housing and financial experts say that figure should not exceed 30 percent.

Many more families are living in motels, homeless shelters or even their cars because they can no longer afford their rent, said Barbara Reed, director of housing and financial management for West End Neighborhood, which offers housing assistance to low-income families.

On January 29, 2008, the Cape Gazette reported that a recent state foreclosure task force found that the number of foreclosures in Delaware increased 90 percent over the same period last year and the number of those who are seriously delinquent in payments (90 days behind) jumped 57 percent from 2006 to 2007.

On November 26, 2007, the Cape Gazette in Delaware did a story on homeless students. In three to four months in the 2007-08 school year, there were 56 homeless students in the Cape Henlopen School District, said Mike Kelley, supervisor of curriculum and instruction, compared to 46 homeless students in the district for all of the 2006-07 school year.

School social worker Heidi Quillen said that there have been as many as 12 homeless students at Richard A. Shields Elementary School in Lewes this school year. "This is by far the most that I am aware of," she said. Quillen has been at the school since 1995.

Quillen said there are two factors that are common with every one of the homeless families. The parents are working, or have worked and had their hours cut back, and all are homeless because of the lack of affordable housing.

"They have low-paying jobs and when their hours get cut it only takes one bad month and they lose their housing," she said.

"Each situation is different but the real common denominator is that housing in the area is not affordable for those with very low incomes," she said.

On January 29, 2006, a story in the News Journal reported that advocates for the homeless report a "50 percent increase in the number of people this year seeking food and shelter from local programs."

"This was not an incremental increase," said the Rev. Tom Laymon, chief executive officer of Wilmington's Sunday Breakfast Mission. "It was a sudden jump. It's really baffling to me." What is most puzzling, Laymon said, is that many of the people using Delaware's homeless programs today don't fit the traditional stereotype.

"Something has changed. We've reached some kind of tipping point," said Bill Perkins, executive director of Friendship House, a Wilmington-based homeless program.

Advocates say they are seeing more families living in shelters, on the streets and in doubled-up housing.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors and many advocates for the homeless have urged the federal government to adopt the Education Department's definition. Using that definition, it is possible to see a hard-and-fast increase in the number of homeless children in Delaware, Miro said. In 2004, for example, her program counted 888 homeless children in Delaware. In 2005, that number jumped to 1,342. This year's figures are about the same as last year's, she said.

On November 20, 2008, the Delaware Coast Press ran a story about charities feeling a pinch. The story reported that Crisis House Shelter in Georgetown, the only emergency housing facility in Sussex County, turns away 20 to 30 people each night because it only has 20 beds.

"The faces of the homeless have changed. We used to see mostly drug addicts and alcoholics ... people not willing to work with the system," social worker Marla DiBattista said. "Now, we see entire families coming though our door -- some just women and children -- and we also have the average Joes who work everyday, but because of certain circumstances, lost their home."

On December 3, 2008, the Portland Observer reported that Oregon officals say the number of people seeking Temporary Assistance is up about 16 percent from last October, making for an increase of 2,900 more Oregon families. The number of households receiving food stamps is up by about 13 percent, helping an additional 29,000 families.

On December 4, 2008, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Philip Mangano, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, speaking at an annual homeless resource fair held in St. Louis, said he's already hearing of preliminary data from cities and organizations showing homelessness increases of as much as 20 percent.

On November 8, 2008, the Chicago Tribute ran an AP story which said that the Iowa City school district is reporting a sharp increase in the number of homeless students living in the district. There were 354 homeless students in the 2007-2008 school year, up from 279 in 2006-2007, and from 234 the year before that.

On November 19, 2008, the Fairfax County Times in Virginia reported that the number of homeless students in Fairfax County Public Schools is up 25 percent from last year, primarily due to home foreclosures. The following are excerpts from the article:

"Kathi Sheffel has been the homeless liasion for FCPS for the last eight years.

"According to Sheffel, there are nearly 1200 students in Fairfax County schools this year that meet that definition. That is an almost 25 percent increase from last year, when the number was only 900.

"Asked why the numbers have increased so dramatically, she gives a one word answer: "foreclosures."

"'I have been here for eight years and the numbers have increased every year, but this is not usual to have this many in such a short period,' she said.

"Sheffel receives calls stemming from foreclosures on a daily basis and her phone is ringing off the hook.

"'I get calls from schools everyday saying that a student's family is being evicted later in the week,' she says. 'Many come from families being evicted because their landlords are being foreclosed upon.'

On December 3, 2008, Grand Junction Sentinel in Colorado reported the following: 
"The number of students classified as homeless in School District 51 for the 2008-09 school year is outpacing last year by almost 2 to 1.

"Cathy Haller, coordinator of the district's Resources, Education and Advocacy for Children who are Homeless program, said the program was serving 170 homeless children this time last year. This year, she said, that number already has reached 300 students.

"'We are really exploding this year,' Haller said, adding the lack of affordable housing in the area and a tough economy are contributing to the increasing number of homeless students.

On December 3, 2008, OzarksFirst.com reported that:

"The number of homeless students in the Springfield Public Schools district rose by more than 25 percent just over the last month. And district officials say the holidays will likely make things worse. Meaning this year, Springfield schools could be dealing with the highest number of homeless students its ever seen."

On December 1, 2008, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that a record number of Utah students have been displaced by the economic downturn. The following are excerpts from the article.

"While numbers for the 2008-09 school year won't be in until next year, social service liaisons at many Utah public school districts say they have already noticed an increase in the number of displaced students over the same time last year.

"During the 2007-08 school year, Granite School District counseled 899 displaced students. This October alone the district has identified 768 displaced students, with the remainder of the school year to go. "We're at a very high number for the beginning of the year," Jacobson said.

"With 1,235 displaced students counseled or served last school year, the Salt Lake City School District reports identifying more than 800 displaced students so far this school year.

"As vulnerable as they are, Jacobson is often amazed at students' resilience. "One 10-year-old girl was able to give us the clothing sizes for all her siblings," Jacobson said. "Sometimes you're dumbfounded that they know things they shouldn't need to know."

On December 1, 2008, the Sarasota, Florida, Herald Tribune published a story that quoted Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, about the connection between the foreclosure crisis and increasing homelessness. The following are excerpts from the article.

"By some estimates, more than 311,000 tenants nationwide have been evicted from homes this year after lenders took over the properties."

"Anecdotal reports from homeless shelters also suggest that such evictions are adding to the number of homeless, said Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty."

"She said her organization is working with other social service and advocacy groups to encourage states to protect renters. At a minimum, she said, states should require landlords to notify prospective tenants that a property is in foreclosure."

On December 3, 2008, the St. Petersburg Times reported that Tampa Bay's fastest-growing homeless population is parents and children. The following are excerpts from the article.

"Area shelter directors, homeless advocates, government officials and child welfare agencies say the rising unemployment rate, the sluggish housing market and the spiraling economy have forced an unprecedented number of families out of their homes."

"Numbers are hard to come by, but the overwhelming anecdotal evidence has pushed advocates for the homeless into action."

"At Tampa's Metropolitan Ministries, there are 28 families waiting for beds. That is on top of the 40 families the shelter is already housing."

"'We are seeing more working-class families,' said spokeswoman Ana Mendez. 'Mom got laid off. Dad got laid off. They need some extra help.'"

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities issued a new report today by Sharon Parrott, "RECESSION COULD CAUSE LARGE INCREASES IN POVERTY AND PUSH MILLIONS INTO DEEP POVERTY: Stimulus Package Should Include Policies To Ameliorate Harshest Effects Of Downturn." The report warns warns of the danger of a sharp increase in deep poverty in the U.S.  The report points out that the housing turmoil has increased the risks of homelessness and that housing vouchers are an effective way to stabilize families and prevent them from becoming destitute. The report is available at http://www.cbpp.org/11-24-08pov.pdf.

The report finds that the current downturn is likely to cause significant increases both in the number of Americans who are poor and the number living in "deep poverty," with incomes below half of the poverty line.  Accordingly, policymakers should take steps to soften the recession's harshest impacts, including the funding of additional housing vouchers.  The current turmoil in the housing sector is exacerbating the risks of housing instability and homelessness, and housing vouchers are an effective way to stabilize families and prevent them from becoming destitute.  Given the likely duration of the recession and the fact that poverty tends to continue rising even after the economy begins to expand again, the report recommends that a recovery package could include 200,000 new vouchers for 2009 and an additional 200,000 vouchers (for a total of 400,000) in 2010.   (See pp. 12-13 regarding this recommendation.) 

Read more at http://www.cbpp.org/ and at http://www.cbpp.org/11-24-08pov.htm.