National Alliance to End Homelessness

Federal Policy Brief | January 14, 2009

Files: PDF | 28 KB | 6 pages

Recessions mean more homelessness. Increasing numbers of unemployed people are unable to afford rent, and charities and local governments are unable to keep up. Based on estimates of the depth likely to be reached by the current recession, 1.5 million additional Americans are likely to experience homelessness over the next two years, over and above the number who usually become homeless.  However, the worst increases in homelessness can be prevented by providing emergency assistance to help stabilize or rehouse people experiencing a housing crisis.