Food shelves around the nation are seeing record-breaking number of clients; some reporting 15% – 20% increases in requests for assistance from previous years.¹  Before the economic recession, an estimated 25 million Americans used food banks each year. ² In years past, food shelf clients were typically single mothers, large families with little-to-no income, and the elderly; but recently the clientele has been expanding.  “We have seen more individuals and smaller families,” says John Kemp, executive director of a Minnesota food shelf. “There have even been singles and couples without children seeking assistance, people we didn’t see much of in the past.”³ 

Jennifer Perkins, a board member of a California food bank, is seeing individuals of all backgrounds come asking for help.  “They begin to scrimp and save and ultimately they realize you’ve got to make the car payment because you have to have transportation to get to job interviews.  You have to make the rent or mortgage payment because you have to have some place to live.  So what starts to go when you’ve cut through all of your discretionary funding?  It’s the food,” she says.⁴

Vicki Slater has four young children. Her husband’s job was cut back to three days a week. She relies on a food shelf to keep her family from going hungry.  “I hate to say it, but sometimes it is embarrassing. Because you know…at first I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have to use a food shelf. But I have gotten used to coming here,” said Vicki.⁵

With food donations dropping along with financial donations, food banks are struggling to stay afloat.  However, many states are being given federal stimulus dollars that can be passed on to local food programs such as food shelves, food stamp benefits, and reduced-priced lunches in public schools. Though the stimulus money will be a big help to government-funded programs, private and faith-based programs are still left to fend for themselves.

Requests for government food stamp assistance are on the rise as well.  Currently 32.2 million Americans – one out of ten Americans – are receiving food stamps.  In the past 10 months, this figure has increased by 4.3 million individuals requesting assistance.⁶

David Glaze and his fiancée, who can’t work because of health issues, survived on the cheapest food they could find – macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the like.  David’s overnight part-time job barely brings in enough money to pay the bills.  ”I’m 30 years old, and I’ve never had to apply for any type of assistance,” said David, who is looking for a second job.  ”It was rough to swallow my pride, but at the same time it was an extremely good thing because it helped us so much.”  Now they are receiving $300 in food stamps each month. ⁷

The federal stimulus plan has increased food stamp benefits by 13.6% per month per person for eligible individuals and families.  This increase is a great benefit for those struggling to get by, even with food stamp benefits.  Just a few months ago, Christina Summerlin could barely feed herself and her son.  But the government recently doubled her $150 monthly food stamps benefit.  “It was not enough before,” said the single mother, who is waitressing and working toward her associate’s degree.  ”But now with this help I feel like we can get what we need.” ⁸

1  Jake Grovum.  “Bills Would Respond To Record Food Shelf Use”.  Star Tribune.com.  30 March 2009.  http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/42131152.html?elr=KArksUUUU
2 Katie Orr.  “Recession Sparks Increased Demand at Food Banks”.  KPBS News.  15 April 2009.  http://www.kpbs.org/news/local;id=14344
3 Cody Zustiak.  “Tough Economic Times Lead Many To The Food Lines”.  Southwest Review News.com.  23 March 2009.  http://www.southwestreviewnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=62&SubSectionID=275&ArticleID=3991&TM=58258.33
4 Author unknown.  “Lost Job Means Increase At Food Shelves”.  Hunger Solutions.  14 April 2009.  http://www.hungersolutions.org/member/news/lost-jobs-means-increase-food-shelves
5 Cody Zustiak.  “Tough Economic Times Lead Many To The Food Lines”.  Southwest Review News.com.  23 March 2009.  http://www.southwestreviewnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=62&SubSectionID=275&ArticleID=3991&TM=58258.33
6 Liz Van Hooser.  “Recession Causes More to Turn to Food Stamps”.  Jacksonville News.com.  16 April 2009.  http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-04-16/story/recession_causes_more_to_turn_to_food_stamps
7 Caroline Headley.  “One in Ten Americans Collecting Food Stamps”.  Telegraph.co.uk.  2 April 2009.  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/5096922/One-in-ten-Americans-collecting-food-stamps.html
8 Donna Vickroy.  “Making a Little God a Long Way”.  Southtown Star.  20 April 2009.  http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1534518,041709foodstamps.article

Many elderly simply don’t have the ability to live on as lean of a budget as they did in their younger years.  Most need prescribed medications to maintain their health and ward off disease.  Turning down the thermostat to save on heating costs is often not an option, as colder temperatures can lead to hypothermia and pneumonia in the elderly.  Cutting down on food expenses proves to be difficult, as individuals with weakened immune systems suffer most from decreased amounts of nutritious foods.  And even some expenses that appear to be superfluous to others are very important to the elderly, such as group exercise classes, eating out for social interaction, and participating in other social activities.  Anything that increases seniors’ isolation can bring health risks, including depression and related problems like insomnia and poor nutrition.¹

Seniors’ request for assistance is on the rise.  Many government and nonprofit agencies are seeing increased requests of 20% to 30% for assistance with bills, food stamps, and other benefits.  North Carolina has seen a 45% increase in requests for food stamp benefits from people 60 years and older.²  Liz Scott, director of adult economic services for a North Carolina agency, is finding that many elderly are requesting assistance but often don’t qualify.  “What we seem to be seeing is people who have lost a job… and can’t afford their expenses.  Many older residents have small savings accounts or other assets that disqualify them for government help unless they ‘spend down’,” says Scott.³

State budget cuts and losses in revenue for nonprofit agencies are affecting the elderly as well.  Programs such as health aides for home-bound seniors, daily meal deliveries, low-cost prescription programs, and senior community centers are often the first to experience lowered budgets, leaving seniors to fend for themselves. 

When unable to provide for their own needs, the elderly are often left with assistance from family and friends as their only option.  However, with the recession affecting individuals of all ages and backgrounds, many family members are unable to take on the financial needs of their aging parents along with their own struggles and dwindling resources.  This can be seen especially in immigrant communities.  Unable to find work or receive retirement benefits, many older immigrants depend on family members for financial support.  And with the economy in recession, relatives who sponsored them for green cards and once provided them with financial assistance are increasingly having trouble doing so.⁴  Federal law greatly limits the availability of financial assistance and health benefits to legal immigrants who are not citizens, let alone to immigrants who unfortunately are not legal at all.  The elderly represent a small percentage of immigrants who enter the United States each year, approximately 6%, nonetheless there are millions of elderly immigrants residing in the U.S. who cannot fully provide for their own needs.⁵  Additionally, they have a harder time assimilating to a new culture than younger immigrants, often lacking friends and strong social networks.

Many older individuals are choosing to remain in the workforce and putting off retirement, and those who were once retired are attempting to return to the workforce again.  An AARP survey conducted last December showed that 57% of people 45 years and older who had lost money in the market during the past year had postponed retirement because of the economic downturn.⁶  Within the past year, Americans have experienced drastic losses in their retirement savings, many seeing decades-worth of hard-earned savings disappear overnight.  The last quarter of 2008 saw the net worth of U.S. households decline by 9% – the biggest decline since record keeping began in 1951.⁷  For individuals on the brink of retirement or already retired, loss of savings is especially difficult as they don’t have the luxury of time to rebuild their assets.  The Social Security Administration has reported a nearly 9% increase in retirement claims between 2008 and 2009.  Though an increase has been long-expected due to aging baby boomers, the increase has been much higher than anticipated because of the recession.⁸  

Randall Gainforth, a 55 year-old government employee, retired in September 2007.  At retirement, Gainforth placed his retirement savings of $130,000 into stocks, hoping for a higher investment return than more traditional savings methods.  Today the account is worth about half of the original investment amount, leaving Gainforth and his family with little hope for the long-term future.  He is now looking for work again.⁹

Older people who are scouring help-wanted ads are finding themselves in tough competition with younger individuals, whom many companies see as a less-expensive hiring option.  Seventy-four-year-old Beverly London had happily settled into retirement with her husband.  They had thousands of dollars secured in stocks.  Recently, their bank failed and Beverly saw her six-figure retirement savings drop to four-figures.  Worried about their future, Beverly returned to the workforce.  She eventually found a job after experiencing many let-downs of being looked over for younger workers.  Though she’s happy to have a stable income once again, she’s certain that she’ll be unable to build up her savings and once again retire.  “I’m not trying to dwell on the future because right now, I’m just glad I can write a check for the gas bill.  We’ll never be able to build up a nest egg again.  We didn’t have a fancy life, but we took a vacation one week out of the year.  There are no vacations anymore,” she states.¹⁰ 

The elderly are also facing record-high foreclosure rates, with approximately 25% of foreclosures happening to people 50 years and older.¹¹  The unemployment rate for workers 65 and older is at about 6.8%, the highest rate since the 1970s.¹²  Personal bankruptcy filings among people 65 and older jumped 150% since 1991.¹³  Howard Zynkian, 89 years old, filed for bankruptcy last year in order to save his home.  Five years ago Howard refinanced his home, not understanding that he was signing a risky alternative mortgage.  Soon his monthly mortgage payments jumped from $1,500 to $2,700.  The retired dentist used his entire savings attempting to keep up with the mortgage payments, but was unable to do so.  Howard also takes care of his daughter, whose health problems prohibit her from working.  Together they earn $2,900 in Social Security benefits.  Now bankrupt, Howard has been able to renegotiate his mortgage payments, but he states that he “can barely manage it.”¹⁴ 

The elderly of our nation are facing insurmountable financial struggles, and their options of resources and assistance are slowly disappearing.  For many, retirement is a lost dream.  Seniors are making difficult decisions to cut costly necessities in order to survive, not knowing they may be doing greater harm to their physical and emotional health.  As our nation continues to fight the economic crisis, we cannot allow ourselves to lose sight of those who desperately need help, and who often are unable to fight for themselves.

1  Thomas Goldsmith.  “Recession Tougher on Older People”.  News Observer.  17 February 2009.  http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1408326-p2.html
2  Ibid.
3  Ibid.
4  Anna Gorman.  “No Country For Old Immigrants”.  The LA Times.  12 February 2009.  http://articles.latimes.com/p/2009/feb/12/local/me-elderly-immigrants12
5  Ibid.
6  Deb Riechmann.  “Some Elderly Delay Retirement, Scan Help-Wanted Ads To Stay Afloat”.  Star Tribune.com.  31 March 2009. 
7  Ibid.
8  Ibid.
9  Ibid.
10  Ibid.
11 Thomas Goldsmith.  “Recession Tougher on Older People”.  News Observer.  17 February 2009.  http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1408326-p2.html
12 Deb Riechmann.  “Some Elderly Delay Retirement, Scan Help-Wanted Ads To Stay Afloat”.  Star Tribune.com.  31 March 2009.  http://www.startribune.com/nation/42176312.html?elr=KArks:DCiUMEaPc:UiacyKUUr
13  Ibid.
14  Christine Dugas.  “‘Perfect Storm’ Puts All Types in Financial Peril”.  USA Today.  26 March 2009.  http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/general/2009-03-26-peril-bankruptcy-foreclose-crisis_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

In the short amount of time that the United States has been engulfed in the current economic crisis, we have seen increases in disturbing trends.  Pharmaceutical companies are seeing increases in demand for prescription medications, many of which cannot be traced to legally-written prescriptions.¹  Companies are experiencing increases in employees seeking counseling services offered through their work – a provider of such services has seen a 15% increase in requests from their 250 corporate clients within the past year. ²  Psychologists are seeing a higher number of their clients talking about economic stressors, some reporting more than 75% of their patients wanting to discuss their dismal economic circumstances.³  Crisis help lines have been getting flooded with calls from people trying to cope with their problems, now largely driven by their economic woes.  The American Association of Suicidology says there is no clear connection between an economic recession and suicide; however studies have shown a direct relationship between unemployment and suicide.  Unemployed adults have 2 to 4 times the suicide rates of employed adults.⁴  One help line has seen a 70% increase in suicide calls since last July.⁵  Suicide calls tracked by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline jumped to 50,158 in the month of January 2009, compared to 39,465 in January 2008.⁶ 

There’s no question as to the increased amount of stress that Americans are experiencing.  Americans are feeling the affects of the down economy – 92% of respondents to a recent survey stated that they’ve lost sleep over the economy; 81% said money was a major source of stress in their lives.⁷ Loss of sleep and stress may seem like minor nuisances to some, but combined with an aging population and record-high obesity rates, these can result in increased diseases and mental illnesses. 

Consequently, as physical and emotional health problems are rising, so is another frightening factor – Americans’ lack of health insurance.  A recent study by the federal government reported that 15.3% of Americans do not have health insurance; another study by the advocacy group Family USA found that 1 in 3 non-elderly Americans have not had insurance coverage for any period of time in the last 2 years.  Though the federal study only counts individuals with no health coverage for an entire year, the Family USA study includes individuals who had periods lacking insurance between periods of coverage.  This latter group has grown by 9% since 2004.⁸  Both are alarming numbers since an individual without insurance, even for a short period of time, may experience accidents or diseases that will later disqualify them for full insurance coverage, leaving them with unmanageable medical bills. 

Since 1994, the last time that the federal government explored the possibility of national healthcare reform, 9 million more Americans have joined the ranks of the uninsured, totaling 45.7 million people – 26.9 million of which are working individuals and families – based on 2007 census data.⁹  Some experts estimate that the number of uninsured Americans has grown to 48 million in the past two years. ¹⁰  An additional 25 million people are considered to be underinsured – those with minimal coverage and who spend over 10% of their income on out-of-pocket medical costs.¹¹  Insurance premiums have been rising more than eight times faster than people’s earnings in recent years, leaving many to make the difficult decision to forgo all insurance coverage. 

As of February 2009, an estimated 3.7 million working-age Americans have lost their health coverage since the beginning of the recession,¹² with many more losing their coverage each day as severance packages expire and COBRA payments prove to be too costly.  A recent poll showed that 43% of participants said they had postponed care for a chronic health condition because of cost.  Emergency department physicians are noticing signs of people rationing care as well – people are coming in sicker, with chronic diseases that have gone uncared for, and with preventative procedures often being ignored.¹³

As the recession continues, health care professionals are concerned that many Americans will forgo necessary medical assistance in light of their financial difficulties, resulting in increased emergencies, complications, and missed diagnoses.  And for those individuals that seek the medical help that they need, many will find themselves with unbearable bills.  Hospitals are anticipating a sharp increase in delayed and defaulted payments from individuals.  Consequently, experts predict an increase in bankruptcy filings due to medical bills – of the 1.1 million bankruptcies filed in 2008, over half of individual filings were due to medical reasons.¹⁴

The story of Paul Nawrocki exemplifies the struggles of Americans dealing with lack of proper health care.  In February 2008, Paul was laid off from his job.  He paid the $1,500 per month premiums to continue his coverage through COBRA, because going without insurance was not an option for his family.  Paul’s wife is diabetic and requires 17 medications to maintain her health.  Within months, Paul had used up his 401(k) funds and other assets to cover the monthly payments.  In August 2008, he discovered that his former employer had filed for bankruptcy, and consequently his COBRA benefits were no longer available.  Paul was able to find a private insurance policy, with premiums of $498 per month.  With a lot of cut-backs and saving, Paul and his wife were able to maintain the monthly premium payments until February 2009.  However, at the end of February, Paul’s pharmacist informed him that he was unable to further provide the Nawrockis with their needed medications.  Regardless of whether they continued to pay the costly premiums or not, the insurance policy had a $3,000 medication annual cap which had already been reached.  Now the Nawrockis face a situation common to many – if they forgo the costly insurance, after 63 days of no coverage they will likely be unable to find any insurance company that will take them on regardless of cost.  His wife’s diabetes will be considered a preexisting condition and will not be covered, and their premiums will be astronomically high.  He must, therefore, continue to pay the high premiums with his current insurance policy, but also pay out-of-pocket for all of his wife’s medications.  Though recent legislation has provided that the federal government will pay 65% of COBRA costs for people laid-off since September 2008, Paul does not qualify for this assistance.  And above all, Paul continues to be unemployed.¹⁵

1 Author unknown.  “Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction Rising During Recession”.  24-7 Press Release.com.  2 April 2009.  http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/prescription-drug-abuse-and-addiction-rising-during-recession-85558.php
2 Rebecca Ruiz.  “How to Tackle Economy-Related Depression”.  Forbes.  5 November 2008.  http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/11/05/f-fprbes-depression.html
3 Alyce Spector.  “As Economy Tanks, Mental Health Issues Rise”.  The Patriot News.  29 March 2009.  http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2009/03/as_economy_tanks_mental_health.html
4 Marilyn Elias.  “Mental Stress Spirals With Economy”.  USA Today.  8 April 20009.  http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-03-11-stress-poll_N.htm
5 Sandra Endo.  “Crisis Hotlines Flooded With Calls”.  ABC12 News.com.  17 March 2009.  http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/national_world&id=6714466
6 Pam Belluck.  “Recession Anxiety Seeps Into Everyday Lives”.  Star News Online.com.  9 April 2009.  http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20090409/ZNYT04/904093020?Title=Recession-Anxiety-Seeps-Into-Everyday-Lives
7 Eric Thomas.  “Economy Causing Recession Depression”.  ABC7 News.com.  19 February 2009.  http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/health&id=6666982
8 Dave Hage.  “Many in State Doing Without Medical Coverage”.  Star Tribune.  7 April 2009.  http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/42641102.html?elr=KArksUUUU
9 Author unknown.  “Study Shows More People Go Without Health Coverage as Insurance Costs Outpace Income Eight-Fold”.  Cover the Uninsured.com.  23 March 2009.  http://covertheuninsured.org/content/study-shows-more-people-go-without-health-coverage-insurance-costs-outpace-income-eight-fold
10 John Fairhall and Kate Steadman.  “The New Uninsured”.  Kaiser Health News.  3 February 2009. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/03feb09.cfm 
11 Karen Tumulty.  “The Health Care Crisis Hits Home”.  Time.  16 March 2009. 
12 Author unknown.  “US Residents Cut Back on Care Amid Recession”.  The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.  9 April 2009.  http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/print_report.cfm?DR_ID=57949&dr_cat=3
13 Catherine Arnts.  “Health Care: Not So Recession-Proof”.  Business Week.  25 March 2009.  http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2008/tc20080324_828167.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_top+story
14 Karen Redmond.  “Bankruptcy Filings Up in 2008″.  US Courts.gov.  13 April 2009.  http://www.uscourts.gov/Press_Releases/2009/BankruptcyFilingsDec2008.cfm
15 Monica Gagnier.  “A Health Care Crisis for Paul Nawrocki”.  BusinessWeek.com.  24 March 2009.  http://www.businessweek.com/blogs/recession_in_america/archives/2009/03/what_is_the_rx.html#more

Exact comparisons between the Great Depression and today’s current economic recession cannot be made, as many variables have changed over the past 70 years, impacting the causes and effects of economic downturns.  However, as today’s conditions continue to worsen, one can only wonder how close to reliving the Great Depression we truly are.

In the first week of April 2009, the national unemployment rate stood at 8.5%, jumping from 7.2% at the end of December 2008.  Not since 1983 has the United States seen such a high number.²  But the real national unemployment rate is far worse than 8.5%. That’s because the official rate doesn’t include the 3.7 million-plus people who are reluctantly working only part-time because of the poor labor market, and the workers who have given up looking for work.  When these individuals are added to the numbers, the unemployment rate rises to 15.6%, a 6.3% increase from this time last year.  “More than 5 million people have lost their jobs since the start of the recession in December 2007.  And more than 13 million people are unemployed.  That’s the highest number the U.S. has seen since it began tracking unemployment after World War II.  For every job out there, more than four people are competing for it,” says Heather Boushey, a senior economist at the Center for American Progress.³  Unemployment does not equally affect different sectors of society.  The unemployment rate for people 25 years and older with a college degree is 4.3%; for those who are college-educated and white, the rate is 2.3%.  For African-Americans over the age of 16 the rate is 13.3%, and for Hispanics it is 11.4%.  For anyone without a high school diploma, the rate is 13.3%.⁴

Last year Congress extended unemployment benefits from 26 weeks up to 59 weeks.  But as the recession continues with no end in sight, many people will unfortunately exhaust their benefits before being able to find work.  Experts estimate that up to 700,000 people will use up their unemployment benefits before the second half of this year.⁵  If no policy changes take place in the upcoming months, communities across the United States will be overwhelmed with individuals and families who have exhausted all possible means of assistance.

During this economic crisis, unemployment and underemployment affect the largest percentage of Americans.  Not every person or family is worried about foreclosure on their home, or not having enough food to feed their children, or not having the insurance coverage available for medical emergencies.  But the majority of Americans are concerned about the stability of their jobs.  A national survey by CNN/Opinion Research Corp. showed that of individuals polled, 36% said that unemployment is the most important economic issue right now, compared to 13% polled in April 2008.⁶

The consequences of high unemployment and underemployment rates can be catastrophic to our nation.  Millions of Americans are currently receiving unemployment benefits; many more are likely to join the ranks, costing exorbitant amounts of government funds.  With individuals and families losing stable incomes, other crises have followed: home foreclosures, unpaid rent and utilities, food shortages and increased demand on food banks, children dropping out of school, uprooted families moving from shelter to shelter, increased substance abuse due to stress and anxiety, and increased visits to emergency rooms as preventative and routine medical care are diminished due to lost health insurance coverage.  Many experts note that men are hardest hit by long-term economic difficulties, as job insecurity and economic difficulties threaten their self-esteem.  The unemployment rate for men over 20 years old is 8.8%, with uneducated, minority men suffering the most. ⁷  “Men, unlike women, have few positive ways of defining themselves outside of the workplace,” states Dr. Brendan Burchell of Cambridge University.  “Given that most economic forecasts predict that the recession will be long with a slow recovery, the results mean that many people – men in particular – could be entering into a period of prolonged and growing misery.”⁸ 

With so many millions of people experiencing this crisis, it’s easy to get caught up in the burgeoning numbers.  But we cannot lose sight of what these numbers represent: children, mothers, fathers, teenagers, college students, married couples, grandparents, and hard-working Americans.

Cory, a 37-year-old man, worked at the same paper mill for over a decade.  Now laid off, he earns $344 per week in unemployment benefits – the only income for his family of four. ⁹

Adam is a 28-year-old Iraq veteran with a degree in information systems from West Point.  He has applied for over 200 jobs, with “absolutely no response.” ¹⁰

Diana, 62 years old, has had a long career in human resources.  Now jobless and out of money, she’s looked for temporary work.  She recently was able to find work as a warehouse sorter, but was let go after only four nights for not being fast enough. ¹¹

Norlin has been a pig farmer his entire life.  His family has been raising piglets on their farm since the 19^th century.  But on January 11 of this year, Norlin loaded his last 1,500 pigs onto a truck.  He is bankrupt.¹²

Hernan, a 54-year-old construction worker, lost his job last July.  His unemployment benefits end in four weeks.  “My biggest fear is we’ll lose the house.  The only thing I can do is keep looking for work and hope tomorrow will be better than today,” he states.¹³

Since losing his job for a plumbing distributor in March 2008, Sterling, a 40-year-old father of four, has been unable to find work.  He’s cleaned houses and taken other odd jobs to bring in some cash, however his benefits are going to expire soon.  “I’ll work at McDonalds,” he states.  “I’ve got no pride as long as the people in this house eat, have hot water – that’s all I need.”¹⁴

1  Author unknown.  Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.  8 April 2009.  http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/depres24.html#
2 Author unknown.  “US Unemployment Rate”.  Economagic.com.  7 April 2009.  http://www.economagic.com/em-cgi/data.exe/feddal/ru
3 Steve Christ.  “Shocking Truth: The Real Unemployment Rate is Much Higher”.  Baltimore Personal Finance Examiner.  7 April 2009.  http://www.examiner.com/x-1528-Baltimore-Personal-Finance-Examiner~y2009m4d7-Shocking-truth-The-real-unemployment-rate-is-much-higher
4  Zachary Karabell.  “We Are Not in This Together”.  Newsweek.  20 April 2009.  
5 Christopher S. Rugaber.  “For Many Unemployed, the Recession Will Outlast Even Extended Jobless Benefits”.  Star Tribune.com.  5 April 2009.  http://www.startribune.com/business/42491187.html?elr=KArksUUUU
6  Paul Steinhauser.  “Poll: Unemployment is Americans’ Top Economic Concern”.  CNN.com.  7 April 2009.  http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/16/unemployment.poll/
7  Zachary Karabell.  “We Are Not in This Together”.  Newsweek.  20 April 2009.  
8  Author unknown.  “Men Suffer Greater Depression During Unemployment”.  Red Orbit News.com.  9 April 2009.  http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1652155/men_suffer_greater_depression_during_unemployment/index.html?source=r_health
9 Author unknown.  “Faces of the Recession”.  Fortune Magazine.  7 April 2009.http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/newjobless/2009/slideshow/index.html
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.
13 Christopher S. Rugaber.  “For Many Unemployed, the Recession Will Outlast Even Extended Jobless Benefits”.  Star Tribune.com.  5 April 2009.  http://www.startribune.com/business/42491187.html?elr=KArksUUUU
14 Christopher S. Rugaber.  “For Many Unemployed, the Recession Will Outlast Even Extended Jobless Benefits”.  Star Tribune.com.  5 April 2009. http://www.startribune.com/business/42491187.html?elr=KArksUUUU

For decades, America has seen homelessness steadily increase.  However, statistics on homelessness have always proven difficult to track.  “The estimates of the number of homeless people in America vary widely. That may be because some surveys consider people who have no home for a night to fall into the category, while others only consider those who live in a chronic state of being without their own shelter.”¹  However, most experts state that on any given night, anywhere from 700,000 to 2 million people are homeless, including as many as 252,000 to 720,000 families with children.²  A recent report indicates that 1 in 50 children is homeless in the United States every year³, thus placing estimates as high as over 1.5 million children possibly experiencing homelessness this year.  Homeless advocates expect things to get worse.  The National Alliance to End Homelessness projects 3.4 million people will be homeless at some point in the coming year – an increase of 35% since December 2007.⁴

Every community in the United States is seeing the impact of the economic recession in various ways, and homelessness changes drastically from one place to another.  The National Alliance to End Homelessness recently produced a report showing homelessness statistics for particular communities⁵. Some of the results are shocking.

Okanogan County, WA- Overall homelessness up 78% since January, 2008.
Butte County, CA- Overall homelessness up 104% since January, 2007.
Anoka County, MN- Overall homelessness up 64% and homelessness among children up 75% since January, 2008.
McHenry County, IL- Overall homelessness up 26% since January, 2008.
Benton & Washington Counties, AR- Overall homelessness up 10% since January, 2007; child homelessness up 30%.
Montgomery County, TX- overall homelessness up almost 200% since January, 2007.
Lee County, FL- Family homelessness up 115% since January, 2008.

Statistical studies of homelessness take time.  Therefore, there is no data currently available showing the exact percentage for the increase of homelessness since the beginning of the current economic crisis.  Nonetheless, all across our nation there are reports of more and more individuals and families who have recently become homeless.  Many, if not most, of the “new homeless” of our nation have never experienced homelessness before.  These individuals are not characterized by mental disorders or drug use, as unfortunately so many homeless individuals of decades past have been.  These are people who had steady jobs, owned or rented their own homes, paid their taxes, and by all other accounts were healthy, contributing members of society.  But as you listen to their stories, you discover that they walked a fine line of financial stability and that this recession quickly pushed them over the edge.

Favor, a 36-year-old mother of three, has been homeless since January 2009.  When she and her husband both lost their jobs, they were no longer able to keep up with the rising cost of their adjustable mortgage.  Soon they found themselves with nowhere to live.  At night, Favor and her children sleep in a local shelter, and during the day when the shelter closes, they are forced to wander the streets.⁶

In Colorado, Norma and Michael are two more faces of the “new homeless.”  Married for 27 years, they built a successful business, owned their own home, had a stable income, and planned to retire within the next 10 years.  With the housing market crash, their mortgage business soon shut down.  The bank repossessed their home, and the couple was forced to move into their office space.  Now living in this small space, they cook most meals in a microwave and shower at the local gym.⁷

In California, Evelyn, a high school student, is one of the millions of teenagers bearing the burden of the economic recession.  Her family bought a home three years ago, but they didn’t foresee the rising mortgage payments.  “It was the first American dream my parents could accomplish,” said Evelyn.  They lost the home and moved in with family.  Now Evelyn lives in a one-room home with 11 other family members.⁸

Recently, reports of “tent cities” popping up across major metropolises have been on the rise.  These cities, modeled after the Hooverville shantytowns of the Great Depression, are nothing more than the last resort for many people.  Some people reside in camping tents, others in makeshift shelters of tarps and plastic sheeting.  Most tent cities offer its residents some benefits of communal living – shared cooking areas, security for their belongings, and certain rules and expectations such as no substance abuse among its citizens.  Jim has been living in a Sacramento tent city for the past four months.  “I worked in the construction trade pretty much all my life.  Then with the economy the way it is, everything just seemed to start going downhill.”  Eventually, Jim was no longer able to pay rent and was forced into the tent city.  He still looks for work; however, he finds that much of his day is spent on things that he used to take for granted.  He spends most of his time trying to stay clean and presentable and acquiring his basic necessities.  “We have to walk about 3 miles round-trip just to get a bottle of water,” he states.⁹ Tent cities are illegal in America, resulting in many local governments fighting to shut them down as citizens fight to hang on to what, for many of them, is their last hope of a place to sleep.

In a survey of over 1,700 school districts nationwide, 69% reported half or more as many homeless students during the first few months of the 2008-2009 school year as during the entire previous year.¹⁰  Currently in Minneapolis, nearly 1 in 10 children attending public schools is homeless.  Legally, schools must provide homeless children with transportation to their schools.  Since last September, 7-year-old Ty’jhanae has been riding over one hour each way between her homeless shelter and school.  Her mother lost her job in a beauty salon and has been unable to find work.  For Ty’jhanae’s mother, the stability of her daughter being able to maintain her education is one of the last few hopes she hangs on to.¹¹

The face of the “new homeless” will be changing in the months ahead, and maybe even for years to come.  Many communities may not see an increase in the number of people living on the streets, as most facing homelessness find long-term shelters, extended family or friends willing to take them in, or cheap motels that offer temporary accommodations. Homelessness will no longer characteristically be defined by older men battling mental disorders and chemical addictions.  It will come to include working mothers, children of dual-parent households, young adults with college educations, and individuals who all their lives worked hard, yet because of one layoff, one prognosis, or one bad financial decision, found themselves without a place to call home.

1  Douglas A. McIntyre.  “When Joblessness Becomes Homelessness”.  6 April 2009.  http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1889610,00.html 
2 Author unknown.  The Almanac of Policy Issues.  6 April 2009.  http://www.policyalmanac.org/social_welfare/homeless.shtml
3 Author unknown.  CNN.com.  2 April 2009.  http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/10/homeless.children/index.html
4  Adam Turl.  “Still Waiting for Help”. 2 April  2009. http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/04/still-waiting-for-help/
5 Author unknown.  National Alliance to End Homelessness.  2 April 2009.  http://www.endhomelessness.org/section/news/press/2009countsmap
6 Author unknown.  “Faces of the Recession”.  Oprah.com.  2 April 2009.  http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090218_tows_lisa-ling-recession/2
7 Ibid.  
8 “Is Anybody Listening?”.  Youtube.com.  2 April 2009.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WMTTrOrKVI
9 Author unknown.  “Inside a Tent City”.  Oprah.com.  2 April 2009.  http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090218_tows_lisa-ling-recession/2
10 Kathleen Kingsbury.  “Keeping Homeless Kids In School”.  Time Magazine.  23 March 2009.
11 Ibid.

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