The average age of a homeless person in the United States is...

[NightTrain]

...nine years old! At least, according to a report I just heard on a college-radio public affairs show.

Goddammit, :wtf: has happened to my country?!

[boobooday]

1. Well hey, they damn well need to get out there and get a job!

Right? That's what the Repukes say!

Personal responsibility.

If they were Halliburton, then they would deserve a government handout.

Disgraceful.



http://www.wgoeshome.com

[lovedems]

3. Yeah, it is those bad choices in life.

:shrug: I will *never* understand their mentality. Ever.

[ikojo]

22. You are right

Socialism for the rich

Capitalism for the poor.

I don't know why the pugs and freepers rant against socialism so loudly, after all it has served them well.

[Iris]

2. You've got to be kidding.

That his horrendous. Although, an organization I'm with did do some work with a women's & children's day shelter and it was packed every day.

And still, there are some who would say the homeless are homeless because they WANT to be.

[redqueen]

4. GOP family values in action.

Ain't hypocrisy grand?

[stellanoir]

5. but our dear compassionate leader says. . .

"poor people are just lazy."

[eleonora]

6. just what my repug friend says..

It's their fault if they're poor!


Nevermind the fact that a whole nation made of ultra-rich citizens is utopia.

[The Flaming Red Head]

7. We'll have to evict

the entire Bush family and all their sneaky little associates. Too bad we can't send them all to a homeless shelter.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. Let's not forget, according to dear departed Saint Ronnie

those children are homeless through choice.

[prolesunited]

10. Yeah

they should have picked better parents. :eyes:

[sangh0]

13. A friend of mine has chosen to be homeless

He says it makes it easier for him to lookout for the space aliens who he knows are planning to invade the Earth.

[jedicord]

9. My Mom was homeless...

she was schizophrenic. When not in mental institutions she couldn't find a place to live, refused my help (sorry, shoot me, but wouldn't have her living with me, too much drama). I would have paid for her to live in a good home, but she wouldn't do it.

She was kicked out of a literal hovel. So, when times were bad, she pushed a shopping cart. It was great driving around with her and she knew all the guys on the corner.

The point is, how can these people find a place to live if they can't even take a shower so that they can find a job? The state's mental health system stinks.

[Robbien]

11. Wow.

Sorry to hear about your mom's illness. Such a sad story and one that is probably not uncommon for many on the streets.

This health care system of ours is broken completely.

[Malva Zebrina]

12. so very sorry for your mom

:cry:

and for your suffering as a daughter, in having to deal with it in some sort of a rational manner.

That could not have been fun and must have had a significant impact on your life.

[jayavarman]

14. Kind of hard to believe if you try to figure out the math on that one . .

for every 40yr old homeless there would need to be more than 3 1 year old homeless . . . right?

I'm no math genius, but my english major mind is having a hard time figuring out how that could be valid . . . Unless there are 5 kids hidden under a bush somewhere for every older guy that asks me for change . . .

Sorry, but hyperbole is a pet peeve of mine. Homeslessness is too serious of an issue- doesn't need to be exagerated. The quoted statistics seem to be inaccurate. Here are some stats I just got off of google:


Ages of the homeless:
The average age for homeless adults is the mid to upper thirties.
The average age of a homeless child is 9.
50% have been homeless as children.

Link: http://www.fresnorescuemission.org/4_HOMELESS/NatHomelessStats.htm
Don't know how legit they are or anything, but it came up 1st on google

[PA Democrat]

15. Hey! But if Bush gets his ban on gay marriage,

families won't have these types of problems anymore. Don't you know that gay marriage is the root of all evil? That's why our fearless leaders have made it their top priority.:grr:

[candy]

16. What was the source of the info? It doesn't make sense!

When they said "homeless" did that mean living on the streets or did it include people that are sheltered,but have no permanent home?

[Robbien]

17. Yes, people who live in shelters are considered homeless

It is probably why this stat is hard for many to believe since many homeless children are hidden away in the shelter system. Please do not say these people really shouldn't be called homeless. When you see a mom and three or four kids being sheltered in a curtained 8'x10' area one couldn't really say that is a home.

[tkmorris]

18. It still doesn't make sense mathematically

Let's say that you have a Mom and, to be generous, four children living in a shelter. Their ages are 32, 7, 5, 4, and 2. I am being as conservative as I can with this here, the actual numbers would probably be higher than that. The average age of just this family is 10 years. If this family had a second parent of say, 34 years the average age would increase to 14.

When you consider that this is really a worst case scenario and begin to consider the vast numbers of single and childless homeless people you realize that the real average age simply cannot be anywhere close to 9 years old. I am as Liberal as it gets but bad information is still bullshit no matter which direction it points. This "stat" is about as smelly as the pre-war WMD claims were.

[sangh0]

20. Maybe it's been a while

but if your math lessons taught you that age distribution was representative of the homeless population, then your math teacher should be fired for malpractice.

For one thing, that family of five would have an age distribution more like 25, 1, 2, 3, and 4 for an avg age of about 7.

For another, very few homeless families are headed by two adults

For a third, many of the people you seen on the streets who look homeless, are not. They're poor, but not homeless.

Bottom line - Your argument stinks. It contains nothing but your biased observations and predispositions, and calling someone else's opinion "bullshit" doesn't make your assertions any more credible.

[candy]

23. The poster was challenging a fact,not an opinion.

The original post gave it as a fact!

[Robbien]

25. The poster is challenging fact with an opinion

that is why differing opinions are being offered.

From my experience in my small part of the world, the original poster's post is very close to reality.

[tkmorris]

27. Oh stop it

Sangh0 I have read innumerable posts of yours here and I respect you but this is still nonsense.

Your average age distribution is not accurate. It is of course in the main a matter of opinion, since it it examines a homeless statistic that can be difficult to really assess accurately for any number of reasons (the 'typical' homeless family).

Furthermore, I realize that very few homeless families have two adults. I never said they did. That isn't the point really, the point is that every single homeless adult raises the average age so far that it isn't really possible for the average age of the homeless to be 9.

I find it terribly offensive for you to assume that my opinions about the homeless are so uninformed. They aren't. I have been homeless, I have worked with the homeless, and I have constantly been in tune with the homeless community and issues for at least 20 years now. I won't claim to be the world's greates authority but I didn't form my views by seeing "homeless" people at intersections with signs either.

There are statistics compiled about this issue you know. They aren't that hard to track down, though it is true that accuracy is a bit difficult, though not impossible. The following is from the Fresno Rescue Mission's site. It is citing some statistics about national homeless statistics. There are many sources for information like this and you will find that they largely agree with each other except when someone has an axe to grind.

"Ages of the homeless:
The average age for homeless adults is the mid to upper thirties.
The average age of a homeless child is 9.
50% have been homeless as children.

http://www.fresnorescuemission.org/4_HOMELESS/NatHomelessStats.htm

As you can see, the average age of homeless children by themselves is 9. I suspect this is the source of the misunderstanding here, which is what I assume it must be.

Check the statistics for yourself, from whatever source suits you. You will see that I am correct.

My Mathematics teacher sends her regards.

:toast:

[Robbien]

21. You are over-estimating the Mom's age

Many Moms in shelters are under the age of twenty.

I cannot argue with you on this issue since I only know what I see around me when I volunteer. Very few people over the age of thirty with kids are in the shelters.

[KG]

19. this country does not love its children.

[Forkboy]

24. I can't verify if this is true

but I can verify from experience that's it's not far off.

[SoCalDem]

26. National Homeless Statistics.. with link

Sadly, most of the sites linked to are local/county or religious organization, so the stats may not all agree

here's one


http://www.pcsb.k12.fl.us/instructional/elementary/hearth.htm


Facts
¢¾ Today the average age of a homeless person is nine(9).
¢¾ Children and families are the fastest growing subset of the homeless, representing a staggering 40% of the population.
¢¾ The average homeless family is a twenty year old mother with children under the age of six.
¢¾ Along with the 400,000 families who are officially homeless, another 25 million live doubled and tripled up with family and friends because they lack a permanent residence of their own.
¢¾ Polk County has approximately 2,632 homeless individuals at any given time in Polk County.
¢¾ It has been estimated that there are 350 school aged, enrolled homeless children at any given time in Polk County.

[Cleita]

28. I recently saw a young girl, who looked like a teenager,

with a sign that said "Homeless..Need Food".

[stavka]

29. Depends on what "Homeless means"

Homeless was a catagory of people invented during the Reagen administration that means nothing.

[Cleita]

30. Whoaaaaaaa there!

Homeless very specifically means people who don't have a home to keep their possessions in, make their meals, take a shower, have a place to take a crap in, and sleep in a room with a lock on the door, something that most even very poor people had until the Reagan administration made it institutional.

[vetwife]

31. 60 percent are veterans !

They are homeless, mental problems, and addictions....Ridiculous in America ! They have homesless school shelters for kids in Washington State according to Jim McDermott....

[Cleita]

32. This happened during Reagan administration

when the old soldier's homes and psychiatric wards were chopped off of funding because of his budget cuts. The vets who didn't have sufficient retirement benefits to be put in nursing homes were chucked out in the street.

Too bad, the same didn't happen to Reagan so that he too could benefit from his policies. Maybe in the future we should require that all Presidents have to partake of their programs like the rest of us.

[Fescue4u]

33. Now wait a second...Both cant be true

Its mathmatically impossible for 60% of homeless to be veterans, and the average age to be 9 years old.

Unless we have 4 years carrying M16s, somebody is bullshiting.

[vetwife]

34. My stats came from the Ford Foundation and did you know

most vets and families are raising their grandkids?

[Fescue4u]

41. Fine, but math dictates that its wrong.

60% of vets = 18 years old plus. That alone puts the MAX average age at 10/11.

In order for these statistics to even CLOSE to jive, no homeless vet can be much over 18, and the rest must be newborns.

Not possible.

[midwayer]

44. I read 11% are veterans

According to a U.S. Conference of Mayors the homeless population is diverse:

· 20% work.

· 22% are mentally disabled.

· 11% are veterans.

· 34% are drug or alcohol dependent.


http://www.homeless.org/do/Home

[midwayer]

46. The 34% Drug or Alcohol dependent

Gave up trying to buy a home on $5.15 per hour

[Rose Siding]

36. These '99 stats are very different

from National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC)

http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm#report

Veteran Specific Highlights:
23% of homeless population are veterans
33% of male homeless population are veterans

Do you have a link for the Ford study? I'd like to bookmark it.

[vetwife]

37. Just looking...Talked about it on Guy James Saturday..will post it !

[Octafish]

35. "They are homeless by choice." -- St. Ronnie Pruneface

There are fates worse than death.

[solinvictus]

38. Here in Chattanooga

I've seen a mixture here; some who were clearly mentally unstable and others who obviously have fallen on hard times. We used to live near the interstate and we saw several cases that appeared to be entire working families living inside a hotel. Here downtown last winter, I stopped to get gas and as I came out a young woman in her late teens/early twenties asked for some food. It's happening more and more and, like I told my wife, no one gives a good god damn because the homeless don't vote or donate to campaigns.

[vetwife]

39. Not the same sheet but some figures the same will keep looking

Check it out

http://www.nvo.com/ecnewletter/homelessinamerican/

[Rose Siding]

42. Ok, thanks

That one has 40% in '94. Different studies, but the one in '96 is 7% lower- I'll keep both. Thanks, vetwife. If you find the 60% study, please post it.

[vetwife]

45. I will..Ticks me off tht I can't find it again...It said

that over 40 percent were homeless and did not account for the 20 percent living in the woods, etc. Pretty scary numbers. Then it gave the stats colected by the Ford Foundation. Did you read what we are looking at in 2010? I am trying to check the history but will post asap. I document everything..So.....I can't figure why I didn't write that link down. Mad I guess.

[American liberal]

40. Since there are more children than adults

living in povery, I don't think the stat is that inconceivable. For great insight into who makes up the homeless population, I strongly recommend Alex Kotlowitz's book "The Homeless." The numbers may be dated but the background perspective he offers is invaluable. The emptying of the back wards of mental institutions had a huge affect on the homeless--and prison--populations.

We have become such a throw away society. I hate how the right has such a blame-the-victim mentality that keeps us (as a society) sick.

[Aunt Anti-bush]

43. No child left behind...

has become no child left with a roof over his/her head. Sickening. I keep hearing the David Bowie song that says "This is not America" over and over in my head.

[eridani]

47. Never mind "average"--

--what are the values for the median and the mode?

[vetwife]

48. Still looking for my stat sheet /I know it was there Saturday !

Homelessness Among Veterans

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that more than 299,000 veterans are homeless on any given night; more than 500,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one of every three homeless adult males sleeping in a doorway, alley, box, car, barn or other location not fit for human habitation in our urban, suburban and rural communities has served our nation in the Armed Forces. These figures were not in the computation. The number is as high as 60 percent by reference of the Ford Foundation.

Homeless veterans are mostly males (2 percent are females); 54 percent are people of color. The vast majority are single, although service providers are reporting an increased number of veterans with children seeking their assistance. Most homeless veterans come from poor, disadvantaged communities; 45 percent have a mental illness; 50 percent have an addiction.
America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America, Afghanistan and Iraq. Forty-seven percent of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. More than 67 percent served our nation for at least three years and 33 percent were stationed in a war zone.
.................................................................

[tinanator]

49. irrelevant

what is relevant is the response our society provides to the thousands who are unable to provide for themselves and their families the food and shelter necessary for a safe and healthy existence. These are global, national and local community issues that affect us all, and it is in everyones best interest that individuals, regardless of their mental or physical conditions, be provided with the basic needs they may very well be unable to provide for themselves. Whether that is a result of infirmities due to addiction or other illness, their realities are our problems to solve. To break it down into an ageist consideration is no better than to say "fuck em all!"

[vetwife]

50. it doesn't matter if its 1 or 100 percent its inexcusable for sure !

I agree its kinda like saying oh these are just numbers..These are real families !

[Sugarbleus]

51. Kensington Welfare Rights Union....

http://www.kwru.org/ehrc/tribunal/hrtrib08.html

http://www.kwru.org/educat/articles.htm

These links have some interesting articles: BushTentCity etc..
The link below is a general site with more and specialized data on the poor and homeless etc...

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/7076/causes3.html