Visions and Voices of Hope: Homeless as Humans

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Visions and Voices of HopeHomeless as Humans

• What do you know about homelessness in Colorado
  Springs or the larger community?

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How much money do you have in your pocket right
now?

• A) None.
• B) Less than 5
• C) Between 5 and 20
• D) More than 20

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Global Question How many people in the world do
you think live on less than 2 per day?

• A) 15 - about 900 million people
• B) 25 - about 1.5 billion people
• C) 50 - about 3 billion people

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Answer

• C) 50 - about 3 billion people in our world live
  on less than 2 PER DAY.

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True or False

• The term homeless means that you dont have a
  home, and that you live and sleep on the streets
  or in a homeless shelter.
• A) True
• B) False

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Definition of Homelessness

• B) False The term homeless individual means an
  individual who lacks housing (without regard to
  whether the individual is a member of the
  family), including one whose primary residence
  during the night is a supervised public or
  private facility that provides temporary living
  accommodations and who is a resident in
  transitional housing.
• Public Service Health Act, Section 330 (h)(5)(A)

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Definition, continued

• A homeless person is an individual without
  permanent housing who may live on the streets
  stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy
  facility (hotel), abandoned building or vehicle
  or in any other unstable or non-permanent
  situation. Bureau of Primary Health Care

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Do you know someone personally who fits this
definition of homelessness?

• A) Yes
• B) No

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How many Americans are homeless at some point
over an average year, approximately?

• A) 1.3 million
• B) 2.8 million
• C) 3.5 million
• D) 5 million

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Answer

• C) 3.5 million Americans are homeless at some
  point during an average year. Additionally, 13.5
  million Americans experience homelessness at
  least once in their lives.
• Incidentally, the population of Colorado Springs
  is 376,427.

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What percentage of homeless are under the age of
18?

• A) 5
• B) 10
• C) 15
• D) 25

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Answer

• D) 25 of people who are homeless are under the
  age of 18.
• 35 of the homeless population are families with
  children this is the fastest growing segment of
  the homeless population.

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The federal minimum wage is 6.55 per hour.
Colorados is 7.28 per hour

• How much does a family need to earn, per hour,
  in order to be able to afford a two-bedroom
  apartment at the average fair market rent?
• A) 6.55 C) 12.45
• B) 9.50 D) 15.37

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Answer

• D) 15.37 per hour. Thats more than twice the
  minimum wage in Colorado.

• What if youre a single parent?
  What about food? Clothes?

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What percentage of homeless adults work regularly?

• A) 18
• B) 44
• C) 32
• D) 5

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Answer

• B) 44 of homeless adults work during the course
  of any month, but dont make enough to afford
  housing.
• 1.2 million families are on waiting lists for
  affordable housing, and are at risk for
  homelessness TODAY.

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The average life expectancy of a US citizen is 77
years old

• What is the life expectancy of a homeless
  person?
• A) 50
• B) 60
• C) 70
• D) 75

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Answer

• A) 50. This was the life expectancy of Americans
  in 1900.

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Over the last ten years, violence against
homeless has increased.

• From 1999 through 2005, the National Coalition
  for the Homeless has documented 472 acts of
  violence against homeless people, including 169
  murders. Who are the most common perpetrators of
  violence against the homeless?
• A) shopkeepers/business owners
• B) other homeless people
• C) teenagers
• D) family members

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Answer

• C) Teenagers. Most violence against homeless are
  committed by teenagers looking for a thrill.

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According to a recent article in the Gazette, how
many people in Colorado Springs are homeless on
any given night?

• A) 4,000
• B) 3,000
• C) 2,000
• D) 1,000

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Answer

• C) 2,000. However, according to Bob Holmes, the
  director of Homeward Pikes Peak, the population
  has doubled over the past five years.
• People sleep at a friends house, in their cars,
  on a bench, in a shelter, or in tents in
  homeless camps.

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In urban communities, how long (on average) does
a homeless person experience homelessness?

• A) one year
• B) 3 months
• C) 8 months
• D) 3 weeks

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Answer

• C) 8 months 240 days. You think the school year
  is long? Try being homeless for 100 more days
  than youre even in school in a given year!!!

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The Chronic Homeless

• 20 of the homeless population is called the
  chronic homeless.
• A "chronically homeless" person is defined as "an
  unaccompanied homeless individual with a
  disabling condition who has either been
  continuously homeless for a year or more, or has
  had at least four episodes of homelessness in the
  past three years."

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How much, per year, does a chronically homeless
person cost us as taxpayers?

• A) Nothing. Our tax dollars dont support
  homeless people.
• B) 500 per
• C) 5,000 per
• D) 55,000 per

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Answer

• D) 55,000 per chronically homeless person. This
  generally covers the cost of uninsured medical
  expenses.

• According to Bob Holmes, if we invested more into
  programs that prevent and treat chronic
  homelessness, we could save over 30,000 per year
  per homeless person.

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What percentage of Palmer students are on Free
and Reduced lunch?

• A) 29
• B) 6
• C) 12
• D) 50

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Answer

• A) 29, compared with 50 of District 11 students
  who qualify for free and reduced lunch. Four
  years ago, only 21 of Palmer students qualified
  for free and reduced lunch.
• 36 million Americans are at risk of going hungry
  each year 13 million are children.

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From 2000-2006, the rate of children living in
poverty in Colorado increased by how much?

• A) 73
• B) 3
• C) 50
• D) 20

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Answer

• A) 73. This is the largest rate increase in the
  country!!!

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What do you think are the major reasons people
become homeless in todays society?
Low wages Family problems Abuse Overpopulation Div
orce

• Unemployment
• The economic downturn
• Natural disasters
• Rising house costs
• Illness/death in the family

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What can we do?