Chronicle WINTER 2017
SM
From Shelter to Housing to Home A look at homelessness and poverty in the United States
A
ccording to the Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) 2015 Annual Survey, 12 million renters and homeowners served through Catholic Charities agencies spent more than 50 percent of their annual income on housing. The survey also states that 564,708 people were homeless in the United States on a single night in 2015 (including 32,240 unaccompanied youth). Every day, Commonwealth Catholic Charities, like our sister organizations around the country, see clients who are living in poverty and struggling to maintain a decent life. CCC is focused on providing hope by meeting clients' problems head-on and finding solutions. Since 2004, CCC has operated intake and assessment services for individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.
Each year, CCC’s intake workers see more than 4,000 individuals who have exhausted their own personal resources and are desperately seeking a roof over their heads. . “On a typical day, we see approximately 55 households with a variety of needs―both individual adults and families with children,” said Jay Brown, CCC Director for Housing. “Shelter space is extremely limited. On average, one space becomes available for a single man each day and one space becomes available for a single woman each week. Family shelter beds are even more limited, and staff often work with families to plan for safety in the event that they will sleep in a car or in another place not meant for housing.” Continued on page 2
www.cccofva.org • Our mission is to provide quality, compassionate human services to all people, especially the most vulnerable, regardless of faith.