National Facts

• Families with children comprise one of the fastest-growing segments of the homeless population today. 
• 13% of Americans live in poverty, including one in five children, the highest rate in the industrialized world. 
• 42% of homeless children are under the age of 6.
• Almost 60% of Americans will spend at least one year below the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75.
• There is no city or county anywhere in the United States where a worker making the minimum wage can afford a fair market rate one-bedroom apartment.
• The cost of rent and utilities for a typical two-bedroom apartment has increased 35% in less than 10 years.  
• 2 million additional American children will fall victim to the foreclosure crisis over the next two years.

Midland County Facts

Data used in the 2010 City of Midland 5-Year Consolidated Plan

• 306 Homeless individuals—198 adults & 108 children (as per City of Midland’s 2009 Homeless Shelter and Street Count—data accumulated from 104 completed surveys)
• From the 198 adults,  69 identified themselves as being a part of a Homeless Family (the definition of a ‘family’ can vary in make-up as to adult relationships but all of the children were a part of  a ‘family’)
• Over 1/3 of these were seeking Emergency Housing and another 1/3 seeking Transitional Housing
• 65% were “1st time homeless”
• Leading cause for homelessness – 66% were “unable to pay rent/mortgage” 
• 95% - “able to work” but 45% of them were “unemployed”