Homelessness
Given the recession, it would have been natural to expect homelessness to rise. But the government’s latest
Annual Homelessness Assessment Report indicates just the opposite: The number of homeless individuals and families has fallen by between 5 and 6 percent since 2007. Those who are homeless also may be getting better help – the number of homeless people not sleeping in shelters on any given night fell 13 percent in that period. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan credits the agency’s Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program, which gives financial and other assistance to those who are at risk of homelessness or who are already homeless.
