Home Rants Life Here’s How Homelessness in Washington Compares to the Rest of the Country

Here’s How Homelessness in Washington Compares to the Rest of the Country

is it democrat leadership causing this?

thecentersquare.com

Homelessness is on the rise in the United States. According to a study published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the number of Americans experiencing homlessness has grown each year since 2015. As of January 2020, there were an estimated 580,466 Americans experiencing homelessness.

Though the exact effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on America’s homelessness problem have yet to be determined, some early indications suggest little reason for optimism.

For reasons at least partly related to the pandemic, a portion of Americans – as high as 35% in some states – say they have missed their rent or mortgage payments or have low confidence that they can pay next month’s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey. Additionally, in some parts of the country, the pandemic interrupted access to temporary housing locations, and social distancing rules meant fewer beds in shelter facilities.

Nationwide, men are far more likely to experience homelessness than women, and rates of homelessness tend to be higher among historically marginalized racial groups, including Native Americans and Black Americans. Homelessness rates also vary considerably by state.

In Washington, an estimated 22,923 people are experiencing homelessness – or about 30.1 for every 10,000 people, the fifth highest homeless rate among states.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, many areas with a high cost of living, especially high housing costs, also have higher rates of homelessness. Similarly, areas with lower costs of living often have lower rates of homelessness. This pattern holds in Washington. Just as the homelessness rate in the state is higher than average, so too is the cost of living. The overall cost of living in Washington, which includes housing costs, is about 7.1% higher than the national average.

Rank State Homelessness rate (per 10,000) Homeless population Poverty rate (%) Cost of livng (%)
1 New York 46.9 91,271 13.0 9.5 higher than avg.
2 Hawaii 45.6 6,458 9.3 11.3 higher than avg.
3 California 40.9 161,548 11.8 9.9 higher than avg.
4 Oregon 34.7 14,655 11.4 3.5 higher than avg.
5 Washington 30.1 22,923 9.8 7.1 higher than avg.
6 Alaska 26.6 1,949 10.1 3.4 higher than avg.
7 Massachusetts 26.1 17,975 9.4 6.7 higher than avg.
8 Nevada 22.4 6,900 12.5 1.1 lower than avg.
9 Vermont 17.8 1,110 10.2 1 lower than avg.
10 Colorado 17.1 9,846 9.3 2 higher than avg.
11 New Mexico 15.9 3,333 18.2 6.8 lower than avg.
12 Maine 15.6 2,097 10.9 3.5 lower than avg.
13 Arizona 15.1 10,979 13.5 1.6 lower than avg.
14 Montana 14.5 1,545 12.6 5.9 lower than avg.
15 Minnesota 14.1 7,940 9.0 1.3 lower than avg.
16 Idaho 13 2,315 11.2 7.1 lower than avg.
17 Florida 12.8 27,487 12.7 0.1 lower than avg.
18 Nebraska 12.4 2,404 9.9 6.6 lower than avg.
19 New Hampshire 12.3 1,675 7.3 3.4 higher than avg.
20 Delaware 12 1,165 11.3 1.1 lower than avg.
21 South Dakota 12 1,058 11.9 7.7 lower than avg.
22 New Jersey 10.9 9,662 9.2 10.9 higher than avg.
23 Tennessee 10.6 7,256 13.9 8.1 lower than avg.
24 Missouri 10.6 6,527 12.9 7 lower than avg.
25 Wyoming 10.6 612 10.1 6.6 lower than avg.
26 Maryland 10.5 6,360 9.0 4.8 higher than avg.
27 Pennsylvania 10.4 13,375 12.0 2.1 lower than avg.
28 Rhode Island 10.4 1,104 10.8 1.6 higher than avg.
29 Oklahoma 9.9 3,932 15.2 9.6 lower than avg.
30 Utah 9.8 3,131 8.9 2.6 lower than avg.
31 Georgia 9.6 10,234 13.3 5.2 lower than avg.
32 Texas 9.4 27,229 13.6 0.9 lower than avg.
33 Ohio 9.1 10,655 13.1 6.8 lower than avg.
34 Kentucky 9 4,011 16.3 10 lower than avg.
35 North Carolina 8.8 9,280 13.6 7.8 lower than avg.
36 Michigan 8.6 8,638 13.0 4.9 lower than avg.
37 Indiana 8.4 5,625 11.9 6.6 lower than avg.
38 Iowa 8.4 2,647 11.2 8.1 lower than avg.
39 Kansas 8.4 2,449 11.4 6.9 lower than avg.
40 South Carolina 8.3 4,287 13.8 7.9 lower than avg.
41 Illinois 8.2 10,431 11.5 0.2 lower than avg.
42 Connecticut 8.1 2,905 10.0 2.9 higher than avg.
43 Wisconsin 7.8 4,515 10.4 5.5 lower than avg.
44 Arkansas 7.8 2,366 16.2 11.6 lower than avg.
45 West Virginia 7.5 1,341 16.0 11.7 lower than avg.
46 North Dakota 7.1 541 10.6 7.8 lower than avg.
47 Virginia 7 5,957 9.9 0.3 higher than avg.
48 Alabama 6.8 3,351 15.5 10.9 lower than avg.
49 Louisiana 6.8 3,173 19.0 8.2 lower than avg.
50 Mississippi 3.7 1,107 19.6 12.4 lower than avg.