AN INSIDE LOOK INTO THE HISTORIES, LIVES AND STORIES OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS
COURTESY OF ALYSSA PRANO
COURTESY OF ALYSSA PRANO
FACES OF THE PHOENIX HOMELESS
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"Only after you've lost everything are you free to do anything."
-Fight Club, Tyler Durden
FACES OF THE PHOENIX HOMELESS
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The Faces of Homelessness
-Photos by Alyssa Prano
The State of Homelessness
-Alyssa Prano
On any given night, as many as 22,000 individuals and families experience homelessness in Arizona (Arizona Department of Economic Security 2010 Annual Report). Poverty, domestic violence, chronic health conditions, mental health issues, and substance use are commonly attributed as driving factors in an individual or family becoming homeless. The primary reason that people become and remain homeless is their lack of safe, stable and affordable housing and lack of support systems.
Chronic Homelessness
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines a chronically homeless person as an individual who is an unaccompanied adult with a disabling condition who has been homeless for a year or more, or those who have experienced at least four episodes of homelessness within three years. HUD classifies a disabling condition as a diagnosable, serious mental illness, developmental disability, chronic physical illness, substance use disorder, or disability including the co‐occurrence of two or more of these conditions.
Families
Families represent the fastest growing segment of homelessness in the United States. Approximately half of the homeless population in Arizona is comprised of families with dependent children. Families experiencing homelessness move frequently between shelters, overcrowded apartments, and temporary arrangements with relatives or friends. Lack of consistency, routines, privacy, safety, health care, uninterrupted schooling, and a sense of community make it extremely difficult for children and youth to flourish socially, emotionally, and academically.
Children and Youth
Children and youth experiencing homelessness are twice as likely to experience hunger, have moderate to severe acute and chronic health problems and repeat a grade in school. In addition to assistance with housing, employment, and income, families experiencing homelessness often need support with child care, school enrollment, transportation, recreation and parenting. Family conflict is the primary reason for youth homelessness. Many leave home after years of physical and sexual abuse, strained relationships, addiction of a family member and/or parental neglect.
Veterans
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that there are 57,849 veterans that are homeless on any given night. Though 92 percent of homeless veterans are male, the number of female Iraq and Afghanistan veterans experiencing homelessness is increasing, as is the number of homeless veterans who have dependent children. More comprehensive solutions to end homelessness are still in the making.
Sources: Az Coalition To End Homelessness
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A HOMELESS VETERAN FACE
COURTESY OF ALYSSA PRANO
Chronically homeless veterans in Phoenix are now under one roof, cementing a joint goal of Sen. John McCain and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. On Veterans Day of 2013, Stanton pledged the City would make sure each of the veterans was off the streets by Christmas. The next day, the City Council unanimously allocated $100,000 to speed up efforts to place the city's remaining 56 veterans in permanent housing.Two years ago, Project H3 Vets identified 222 chronically homeless veterans in Phoenix. Each will be transitioned into permanent housing by Arizona's Statehood Day - Feb. 14, 2014. The mayor and Project H3 VETS have cut chronic homelessness among veterans by 62 percent since the project launched two years ago. Project H3 VETS is a partnership of the Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness, Phoenix VA Health Care System, Arizona Department of Veteran Services, Arizona Department of Housing, Valley of the Sun United Way, Community Bridges, City of Phoenix and others.
The homeless veteran problem in Phoenix is better than in the past, but it's far from solved. A few days before Christmas, Mayor Greg Stanton's office made a bold statement. "Phoenix Puts Roof Over Head of All Chronically Homeless Vets," announced a December 19 press release, followed December 23 by a statement from the White House, headlined, "Phoenix Reduces Its Population of Chronically Homeless Veterans to Zero."The media responded with equally bold headlines:• "Phoenix Says It's the First City to End Chronic Homelessness Among Veterans" — TheWashington Post• "Program to End Homelessness Among Veterans Reaches a Milestone in Arizona" — The New York Times• "How Phoenix Ended Homelessness Among Vets" — USA Today. It is true that after years of planning, in a relatively short period of time (weeks), with a considerable amount of money (millions of dollars), Phoenix put more than 200 chronically homeless veterans into housing — a significant move in an ongoing effort by the Obama administration to end the homeless veteran problem, which the president aims to do by 2015.
Sources: CBSAZ.com "Goal Met"