Foreclosure to Homelessness Presented at Foreclosures in Wisconsin: Responses and Resources for Livi

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Foreclosure to HomelessnessPresented at
Foreclosures in Wisconsin Responses and
Resources for Living Beyond the Bubble

• M William Sermons
• Director, HRI

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Report released in June, 2009
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Current Snapshot on Homelessness

• Approximately 670,000 homeless at point in time
  1,600,000 use shelter system each year.
• 20 meet chronic homeless definition
• 37 persons in families often mother with 1-2
  children
• Decreases in overall (10), chronic (28), and
  family(18) from 05 07.
• No change in any subpopulations 07 08.
• Increase in 08 in people coming from housing
  (rented/owned or with family or friends) into
  shelter system.

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Summary of Methodology

• 20-question Survey of 178 agencies that serve
  homeless people.
• All four Census regions represented 21 from
  Midwest
• Homeless shelters, legal services, health care,
  transitional/permanent housing, food pantry, etc.

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Core Question

• Of all clients youve served who have become
  homeless during the last 12 months, what
  percentage (must add up to 100)
• Were evicted after a landlords property went
  into foreclosure ______
• Were homeowners who lost the homes they were
  living in ______
• Were homeless for reasons that did not involve
  foreclosure ______

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Major Findings

• 79 of providers reported at lease some clients
  were homeless due to foreclosure.
• Overall median response 10. Among housing
  (shelter/transitional/permanent) providers 5.
• 51 ratio of renters to owners.
• With family or friends and emergency shelter
  most common post-foreclosure living situations.
• Most common services being provided in
  communities counseling to prevent foreclosure,
  free or pro-bono legal assistance, and cash
  assistance.

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Most Common Reasons for Homelessness

• Job loss
• Drug/alcohol problems
• Asked to leave by family/friends
• Family/domestic violence
• Incarceration

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For More Informationwww.endhomelessness.orgmse
rmons_at_naeh.org