In Honor of Black History Month

In honor of Black History Month we wanted to share some statistics and facts to our community surrounding homelessness and racial disparities.

Did you know that most minority groups, especially Black Americans and Indigenous People, experience homelessness at higher rates than any other race due to long standing historical and structural racism?

The most evident disparity can be found among Black Americans who make up almost 13 percent of the general population but account for almost 40 percent of individuals experiencing homelessness in our country. Black Americans also make up more than 50 percent of homeless families with children. (These statistics can be found through endhomelessness.org for further research)

You may ask yourself...what causes would create such significant disparities in our country?

There are several actually: lack of socioeconomic opportunities, rental housing discrimination, incarceration, and access to quality health care.

All create a cycle for our Black American homeless population to remain chronically homeless and vulnerable.

Knowledge is power and by knowing these statistics we as a country can do better to serve the entire vulnerable population with grace and care.