Currently 567,715 people experience homelessness each night in the United States. 70% of that population are individuals including veterans and youth, while the other 30% are families [1]. There are different living conditions that can be considered homeless which include living with family or friends, temporary housing (emergency, safe haven and transitional), or unsheltered (streets, abandoned buildings, cars). There’s about 37% of those homeless that live unsheltered [1]. 

How It Affects Our World

Studies have shown homeless individuals age faster than someone who has his or her own means of a home. Those who are homeless can have physical conditions similar to those who are 15-20 years older than them [1]. To no surprise, homeless unsheltered living environments raise more of the risk for poor health by 65% according to a self-reporting study [1]. Individuals who are homeless are found to have mental illness at double the rate than the general population in the United States. Additionally, although mental illness can contribute to homelessness, low-income housing has been argued to be the main cause [2]. 

What We Can Do About It