Homelessness and Food Security

Contributing Factors

Poverty & Homelessness

Poverty and homelessness are strongly correlated. Not every individual who experiences poverty is homeless, but almost every homeless person experiences poverty. Income is the most significant demographic correlate with homelessness.

Over 70% of homeless households counted during the January 2007 One Night Count had very low income, but because a very high number counted had an unknown amount of income, this percentage is estimated to be very low. There were 1,024 households for which the income level was unknown.

Housing Affordability and Homelessness

For people with low incomes, the high cost of housing is critical.

Four out of five households with incomes below half of the median income pay more than 30% of their income for housing. This puts them at high risk for homelessness.

The proportion of King County households in this low income bracket is increasing, while housing costs continue to increase and availability of rental housing is decreasing. These trends, combined with other cost of living expenses, further increase the risk of homelessness for King County residents.

The price of housing, both for sale and for rent, is one of the most critical issues related to homelessness. The general lack of affordable housing contributes to more people becoming homeless. For those who have the lowest incomes, affordability of housing is a determinant of where they will live, how they access their jobs, childcare, and what service opportunities are available.
(Read more about housing affordability)

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Racial Equity and Homelessness

According to the 2007 One Night Count of Homeless Persons in King County, people of color represent well over half (58%) of the homeless population receiving services although they make up less than one-third (27%) of county residents.

If we are truly committed to ending homelessness in King County, we need to examine the factors contributing to specific groups in our community experiencing this phenomenon at disproportionate rates.  (Read an analysis of racial equity and homelessness)

Download Data | Source: 2007 One Night Count

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The Homeless Service System

Like many health and human service systems, the homelessness service system operates on a formal basis with public, private, and non-profit organizations as the providers. It also operates on an informal basis through family, friends, and neighbors. It will take both broad public intention and focused political will to do all that is necessary to end homelessness in King County.

The county has adopted a ‘Homeless Continuum of Care Plan’ to ensure a comprehensive approach to homelessness. The Plan aims to support people who are currently homeless, people transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing, and people who need help maintaining housing. The continuum of care includes

• emergency shelter
• transitional housing
• permanent housing
• day centers and hygiene facilities
• a range of supportive services for homeless people
• prevention services

Public funding is clearly the catalyst for continuance of the homeless service system. The amount of public funding is dependent upon the general public and political will to allocate funds through a variety of programs toward supportive services for homeless people.

Moving from caring for homeless people to ending homelessness

The service system must change to go beyond providing services for homeless people if our goal is to end homeless. That will require moving homeless people into permanent housing more directly, creating more affordable housing and expanding prevention funding, as well as continuing support services in varying levels of intensity.

Prevention

For example, eviction prevention programs identify people who are about to lose their housing, and provide rental assistance, case management, legal services, or mediation with landlords. Another example of prevention is discharge planning with jails, hospitals, psychiatric facilities, chemical dependency facilities, or the foster care system. Discharge planning involves working out viable living circumstances in advance for those being discharged from these systems. Without discharge planning, many youth and adults are turned out to the street with nowhere to go, or with such limited resources that they cannot afford housing.

Housing First

The housing-first approach places homeless people in permanent housing immediately. It provides supportive services, usually on site, first, to address issues that placed them at risk for homelessness and also to insure people’s success in maintaining housing. To be most successful, supportive services must be available until the time people exiting homelessness are able to sustain their new living circumstances.

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Food Security

Having a dependable, safe source of food is a fundamental need. Most households are classified as “food secure” meaning they have the financial resources to feed their families throughout the month. For many of us, this primal necessity has become an abstract concept instead of a day-to-day fact of life. Unfortunately an estimated 13.5 million households in the United States (11.9% of all households) were reported as food insecure in 2004. These households utilize the retail market for their food but periodically rely on the emergency food system to get by. Of this population, 4.4 million (3.9% of all U.S. households) had experienced hunger at some point in the year. For them, the emergency food system becomes their life-sustaining source of nutrition. Read Definitions of Food Security, Food Insecurity

Local Data

The following figures are based on the publication Hunger in America 2006 Local Report Prepared for Food Lifeline. This publication included agency and client surveys for Food Lifeline which is estimated to provide food items to 80% of the local emergency food system in western Washington including nearly every provider in King County as the local affiliate of Americas Second Harvest (A2H).

Food Lifeline Service Area

Source:  Hunger in America 2006:  Local Report Prepared for Food Lifeline

Western Washington Region (including King County)

• Approximately 56,900 different people are served on any given week
• 32% of the members of households served by Food Lifeline are children under 18 years old
• 9% of the members of households are children age 0 to 5 years
• 6% of the members of households are elderly
• About 61% of clients are non-Hispanic white, 13% are non-Hispanic black, 10% are Hispanic
• 42% of households include at least one employed adult
• 60% have incomes below the official federal poverty level during the previous month
• 16% are homeless

A complete copy of Hunger in America 2006:  Local Report Prepared for Food Lifeline can be found at  http://www.foodlifeline.org/news/recent/attachments/Final%20Food%20Lifeline%20Hunger%20Report.pdf

King County Data

• Total unduplicated number of King County food bank recipients for the period (July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007): 241,524[5]
• 34% of the above were infants and children
• 17% of the above were older adults.
• The average food bank recipient participates 7.4 times in a year. 

A survey of King County Adults Age 18+ were asked to respond to the following statement:
"The food that we bought just didn't last, and we didn't have money to get more.” The corresponding results include responses of “Sometimes” and Often”
 

  

 Source:  Communities Count 2005

 Emergency Food Delivery System

Without attempting to be exhaustive, some of the key components of the emergency food system include:

• Food banks, which are regional organizations that obtain food in bulk and then distribute it to local providers
• Food rescue organizations play a key role similar to food banks, but they focus on obtaining perishable foods such as contributions and gleanings from farmers and surplus foods from restaurants and other commercial food service operations.
• Federal programs include such programs as the Department of Agriculture Emergency Food Program, which provides millions of tons of food, the Food Stamp Program, and the National School Lunch Program.
• Emergency kitchens provide cooked and sometimes sandwich only food at little or no cost, and often occupy a space next to other support services.
• Food pantries distribute groceries and other basic supplies for off-site use, usually for preparation in a recipient’s residence.

There are also organizations designated by states as official distributors for USDA commodities received by the state, and these are sometimes called emergency food organizations.

 Other programs like Meals on Wheels for seniors; WIC for women, infants and children; and free or low-cost school lunch programs, are also part of the food assistance system.

Free and Reduced Lunch

 The USDA Child Nutrition Program,  popularly known as the Free and Reduced Lunch Program distributes nutritious meals to eligibly school age children.  Using the 4 person household which is standard for many publications Free meal eligibility is for households with an annual income of no greater than $26,845.  Reduced price meals are for families making no more than $38,203.  The following chart shows the 2006 results at the regional level.  For further details review the Education subsection under Key Data and Demographics.

Public School District	Total Enrollment	Free	Reduced	Total Program Participation	Total As Percent of Enrollment
North King County Total	29,208	2,897	1,266	4,163	14.3%
East King County Total	65,620	5,585	2,074	7,659	11.7%
South King County Total	110,652	33,849	10,719	44,568	40.3%
Seattle Total	44,667	14,201	3,715	17,916	40.1%
King County Total	250,147	56,532	17,774	74,306	29.7%

 Download Data | Source: OSPI (The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction)

 The Consequences of Hunger:
The following consequences of hunger highlighted by America's Second Harvest in their publication, Hunger in America 2006.

*Undernourished pregnant women tend to have low birth weight babies. Low birth weight babies suffer from more physical illness, as well as impaired growth and development. Undernourished infants are at greater risk of dying within their first year of life.

 *Chronic hunger in adults weakens bones and muscles, increases the risk of illness, worsens existing health problems, and contributes to depression and lack of energy. Hunger in adults also produces nervousness, irritability, and difficulty in concentration.

*Children who are hungry may be less attentive, independent, and curious. Many hungry children have difficulty concentrating; therefore their reading ability and verbal and motor skills suffer. Children who are hungry also often experience headaches, fatigue, frequent colds, and other illnesses that may cause them to be less physically active.

*Hunger can have a devastating emotional impact; it may diminish self-confidence and self-esteem. In a culture that encourages self-reliance, individuals who need food assistance may hesitate to seek help. They may experience feelings of shame or embarrassment due to circumstances that are out of their control.

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