Homeless population by state 2022 (apartment, home, college)
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I know, right? And some of the wealthiest states have the highest rates of homelessness. It's unexpected, and I love unexpected results
Top-line income isn't a good measure of poverty because it doesn't take cost of living into account. The Supplemental Poverty Rate accounts of cost of living, which shows that California, one of the highest income states, has the highest poverty rates: https://news.yahoo.com/california-hi...030027521.html
Many of the states with the highest cost of housing also have the highest rates of homelessness, including cold states, so it can't just be due to differences in climate.
Conversely, many of the states with low cost of housing have the lowest rates of homelessness, including states with high rates of addiction, so it can't just be a function of drugs/alcohol.
The thing is Mississippi also ranks poorly with supplemental poverty rate, too. That said, it's really hard to kick a renter/defaulter out in practice in Mississippi. Laws might seem lax, but the demand isn't there to the degree where finding a replacement can be taken for granted.
A random side note with poverty rates is that people don't tend to look at the error ranges. Alabama's supplemental poverty rate range overlaps with over half the states (Though AL has the largest margin of error).
It's almost like making housing affordable means that fewer people are left on the streets.
Perhaps fewer. But the majority of homeless are addicted to drugs and or are mentally ill. They are not capable of earning an income or paying for rent even if its a small amount. Certainly the rise in housing costs has put more people on the streets.
The thing is Mississippi also ranks poorly with supplemental poverty rate, too. That said, it's really hard to kick a renter/defaulter out in practice in Mississippi. Laws might seem lax, but the demand isn't there to the degree where finding a replacement can be taken for granted.
A random side note with poverty rates is that people don't tend to look at the error ranges. Alabama's supplemental poverty rate range overlaps with over half the states (Though AL has the largest margin of error).
Yep. Mississippi is just a very poor state all around, so not at all surprising that it has a high supplemental poverty rate. But it also has some the least expensive housing, which helps explain its low rate of homelessness. It's a lot easier to remain housed if one can split a 2 bed for around $750/month (https://www.rentdata.org/states/mississippi/2023) vs $2400 in California. Someone on SSDI can actually afford a roof over their head and have enough leftover for other essentials in MS, vs near impossible in CA. My point is that high housing costs result in higher rates of homelessness.
The two that stick out the most for me:
1. New Jersey - how is it so different from New York and what is with the the % of homeless without shelter?
2. Vermont - never thought it would have such a high homeless population.
Honorable mention - Minnesota. I thought the rate would be higher but good to see it low.
Vermont? Are they all crowded into Burlington (the one "city") or camping out in the rural areas?
Quote:
Originally Posted by fwsavemoney
The two that stick out the most for me:
1. New Jersey - how is it so different from New York and what is with the the % of homeless without shelter?
2. Vermont - never thought it would have such a high homeless population.
Honorable mention - Minnesota. I thought the rate would be higher but good to see it low.
Vermont is strange to see near the top of that list. I wonder if it is due to people live in RV's?
Yep. Mississippi is just a very poor state all around, so not at all surprising that it has a high supplemental poverty rate. But it also has some the least expensive housing, which helps explain its low rate of homelessness. It's a lot easier to remain housed if one can split a 2 bed for around $750/month (https://www.rentdata.org/states/mississippi/2023) vs $2400 in California. Someone on SSDI can actually afford a roof over their head and have enough leftover for other essentials in MS, vs near impossible in CA. My point is that high housing costs result in higher rates of homelessness.
A. Day 1, hour 1 of any stats course: Correlation is not causation.
B. Indisputable fact #1 of human nature: That which you reward, you will get more of.
C. In most major cities, on any given night, there are more empty beds in shelters for homeless that there are homeless folks sleeping outside. Here's an example:
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