The Realities of The Unhoused

The false belief that homelessness is a personal failure implies people living on the street have done something wrong to cause their misfortune. Data and surveys show economic factors — such as losing employment — are the leading cause of homelessness from urban to rural areas. additional factors include domestic violence, substance abuse and mental illness.

Despite the images often associated with the unhoused - an older single male - homelessness also affects families. Black people are four times more likely to experience homelessness because of structural racism. LGBTQ+ youth, people who have been incarcerated and those with a prior history of homelessness are also at increased risk of experiencing homelessness.

The number of homeless people in Wake County has nearly doubled since 2020, according to the HUD  Point-in-Time Count  which attempts to determine the number of people without a home in a city or county on a given night. The 2022 count for Wake County showed a 68 percent increase from 2021 and a 99.5% increase from 2020. The count doesn’t account for individuals couch surfing, in hotels and motels or sleeping in their vehicles which could quadruple the count.

Homelessness disproportionately affects African American people in Wake County. According to the 2020 U.S. census, African American individuals made up 21 percent of Wake's population, but make up about 73% of the 2021 HUD Point-in-Time count of the homeless population. African American males make up 49% of the total.

According to Durham County’s 2020-2021 Coordinated Entry Evaluation, chronically homeless Black or African American clients were significantly less likely to have a decision score above 10, the lowest score to be considered for permanent supportive housing, than white clients. While Black or African American clients make up 67% of chronically homeless clients in Durham, they make up only 32% of chronically homeless clients with a score over 10. These findings indicate that Black or African American clients were significantly less likely than their white counterparts to be considered for a permanent supportive housing slot.

There are approximately 56,000 working households making less than $39,000 a year in Wake County currently unable to find affordable housing. Current trends show that number may increase to as many as 150,000 households over the next 20 years.

There is a 3-year waiting list for public housing in Raleigh, NC. There is a one-year lottery system waiting list in Durham, NC public housing with 65% of those waiting looking for a studio or 1 bedroom apartment yet most of the proposed future units are for families and individuals who are chronically homeless.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that it costs about $40,000 a year for a homeless person to live on the streets. This cost includes emergency room visits, police department response, encampment, and street cleanups.