Homeless statistics (as of 2009)
Almost ½ of ND’s long-term homeless population lives in Fargo.
On any given night, an estimated 1500 people were found to be homeless in the FM area in 2009. Over 1/3 are considered to be “long term homeless”
Basic characteristics:
Age: Nearly 70% are men, with an average age of 46. The average age of a homeless woman in Fargo is 32.
Veterans: Veterans make up 47% of the homeless males in Fargo.
Children: More than one-third (36%) of women in sheltered locations had at least one child with them.
Race/Ethnicity: The homeless adult population contains a disproportionate number of persons of color, particularly American Indian—26%. About 2/5 (38%) of Fargo-Moorhead homeless adults are persons of color.
Unsheltered: Three out of four “unsheltered” homeless were men and 24% were American Indian
Duration of Homelessness: Over 2/5 (46%) of the homeless population meet the federal definition of chronic homeless.
Education: Over ¾ (82%) of Fargo’s homeless population has a high school diploma or GED—34% have attended at least some college.
Employment: 32% of homeless persons in Fargo are employed—13% in a full time status.
For those who are not working, the most common barriers are:
Transportation—26%
Physical health problems—26%
Personal Reasons—18%
Lack of resources to look for work—15%
Mental health problems—12%
Affordability of Housing:
The average amount of income in Fargo that homeless persons receive was $399/month, with the median income being $203.
The average amount of rent that homeless persons surveyed said they could pay was $205/month (including utilities).
39% of people surveyed could not afford to pay anything for rent.
Health and well being
75% of the total homeless population report having a mental illness, substance abuse disorder, or chronic health problem.
32% of homeless adults in Fargo were told by a doctor in the last 2 years that they have a serious mental illness.
43% of homeless adults report that they consider themselves to be alcoholic or chemically dependent
19% of the homeless population in Fargo has received in-patient drug/alcohol treatment in the last 2 years, 22% reported receiving out-patient treatment.
21% of homeless adults have been dually diagnosed by a doctor in the last 2 years as having both a mental illness and a chemical dependency problem.
Risk factors for chronic homelessness:
Chronic health conditions
Mental illness
Substance abuse disorders
Limited or no social support network
Very low or no income
Discharge from jail, prison, hospital, shelter, detox, treatment, or foster care
7 stages of “going home”
*Housing First
1) Increase availability of permanent supportive housing
2) Improve consumers’ ability to pay for housing
3) Develop partnerships that will move people into housing first
4) Make outreach to long term homeless more effective
5) Stop discharging people into homelessness
6) Enhance the coordination and availability of prevention services
7) Collect data and share info about homelessness
Homelessness is not “just a social service issue”—it is a community issue with serious individual and community costs.
The kind of systematic change called for in “Going Home” requires collective and collaborative action between local communities, state agencies, and non-profit and for-profit housing and service providers…all working together toward a common goal.