By Conference staff
January 13, 2003

As housing costs continued to rise faster than incomes and the national economy remained weak, requests for emergency food assistance increased an average of 19 percent over the past year, according to a 25-city survey released on December 18 by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The survey also found that requests for emergency shelter assistance grew an average of 19 percent in the 18 cities that reported an increase, the steepest rise in a decade.

"The world's richest and most powerful nation must find a way to meet the basic needs of all its residents," said Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. "To address hunger and homelessness we must all work together to confront our national affordable housing crisis and turn around our sluggish economy."

Participating cities were most likely to attribute hunger in their communities to high housing costs (16 cities), low-paying jobs (15 cities), unemployment (13 cities), and the economic downturn (11 cities).

As need increased, the level of resources available to help meet that need at emergency food assistance facilities decreased in 52 percent of the cities, increased in 35 percent, and remained the same in 13 percent. Just over half the cities surveyed said they are not able to provide an adequate quantity of food to those in need. And nearly two-thirds of the cities reported they had to decrease the quantity of food provided and/or the number of times people can come to get food assistance. An average of 16 percent of the demand for emergency food assistance is estimated to have gone unmet in the survey cities.

The survey finds that 48 percent of those requesting emergency food assistance were members of families with children and that 38 percent of adults requesting such assistance were employed.

"These are not simply statistics," said Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell, who chairs the Conference's Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. "These are real people who are hungry and homeless in our cities."

Participating cities were most likely to attribute homelessness to a lack of affordable housing (21 cities), mental illness and the lack of needed services (20 cities), substance abuse and the lack of needed services (19 cities), and low-paying jobs (17 cities). The survey documents significant unmet need for shelter in cities across the nation.

People remained homeless for an average of six months in the survey cities, a figure that increased from one year ago in all but four cities. Single men comprised 39 percent of the homeless population, families with children 39 percent, single women 12 percent, and unaccompanied youth two percent. Seventy-three percent of homeless families in the survey cities are headed by single parents. It is estimated that substance abusers account for 32 percent of the homeless population in the survey cities and persons considered mentally ill account for 23 percent. Twenty-two percent of the homeless in survey cities are employed. Ten percent are veterans.

All the cities in the survey expect that requests for both emergency food assistance and shelter assistance will increase again over the next year.

"In the past several years, the face of homelessness has changed here in the District of Columbia and in cities across America," said Washington Mayor Anthony A. Williams. "It's going to take a coordinated effort on many fronts to combat this problem. This effort must include additional federal resources for housing, job training, substance abuse treatment and mental health counseling. By shedding light on the problem as we are doing with this report, we can work together to help homeless individuals transition into fuller lives."

The mayors also announced a "call to action" to the Administration, Congress, state and local governments, the private and non-profit sectors, and all Americans to do their part to address growing hunger and homelessness in our nation. Specifically, the mayors -

• Called on Congress to immediately consider and build upon President Bush's request for aid to the homeless, as part of a comprehensive effort to end homelessness within ten years;
• Called on Congress and the Administration to enact a national housing agenda, based on the recommendations mayors submitted earlier this year, which would put tens of thousands of Americans to work;
• Called on Congress to streamline federal anti-hunger programs and provide additional outreach resources; and
• Urged all Americans to donate their time, money, and excess food to help combat hunger and homelessness.

"The report confirms what America's Second Harvest has struggled with over the past year," said Robert H. Forney, President and CEO, America's Second Harvest, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization, who joined the mayors today. "To meet the growing demand for food assistance, we'll need a commitment from every American who can afford to help, our elected leaders, the business community, as well as our network of hunger-relief agencies."

The mayors released the report at DC Central Kitchen, which converts donated food into meals for the hungry while providing food preparation job training to unemployed individuals. Several mayors in other cities held their own events to mark the release of the report and draw attention to the problems of hunger and homelessness.

The mayors of the 25 cities included in the survey are members of the Conference's Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. They are Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle, Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley, Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell, Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes, Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, Louisville Mayor David Armstrong, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza, Portland Mayor Vera Katz, Providence Mayor John Lombardi, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza, Seattle Mayor Greg NickeThe complete survey can be downloaded for free or a hard copy can be ordered for $20 at usmayors.org

The complete survey can be downloaded for free or a hard copy can be ordered for $20.

Summary

To assess the status of hunger and homelessness in America's cities during 2002 The U.S. Conference of Mayors surveyed 25 major cities whose mayors were members of its Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. The survey sought information and estimates from each city on 1) the demand for emergency food assistance and emergency shelter and the capacity of local agencies to meet that demand; 2) the causes of hunger and homelessness and the demographics of the populations experiencing these problems; 3) exemplary programs or efforts in the cities to respond to hunger and homelessness; 4) the availability of affordable housing for low income people; 5) the outlook for the future and the impact of the economy on hunger and homelessness.

Among the findings of the 25-city survey:

Hunger

• Officials in the survey cities estimate that during the past year requests for emergency food assistance increased by an average of 19 percent, with 100 percent of the cities registering an increase. Requests for food assistance by families with children increased by an average of 17 percent. Requests for emergency food assistance by elderly persons increased by an average 19 percent during the last year, with 92 percent of the cities reporting an increase.
• On average, 16 percent of the requests for emergency food assistance are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. For families alone, 14 percent of the requests for assistance are estimated to have gone unmet. In 32 percent of the cities, emergency food assistance facilities may have to turn away people in need due to lack of resources.
• Forty-eight percent of the people requesting emergency food assistance were members of families — children and their parents. Thirty-eight percent of the adults requesting food assistance were employed.
• The overall level of resources available to emergency food assistance facilities increased by 18 percent during the last year. Forty-eight percent of the survey cities reported that emergency food assistance facilities are able to provide an adequate quantity of food. In 64 percent of the cities emergency food assistance facilities have had to decrease the number of bags of food provided and/or the number of times people can receive food. Of these cities, 48 percent have had to increase the limit on food provided. Sixty-four percent of the survey cities reported that the food provided is nutritionally balanced.
• In 100 percent of the cities, emergency food assistance facilities were relied on by families and individuals both in emergencies and as a steady source of food over long periods of time.
• High housing costs lead the list of causes of hunger identified by the city officials. Other causes cited, in order of frequency, include low-paying jobs, unemployment and other employment-related problems, economic downturn or weakening of the economy, medical or health costs, homelessness, poverty or lack of income, substance abuse, reduced public benefits, child care costs, mental health problems, and limited life skills.
• City officials made a number of recommendations of policies the federal government could do to help alleviate hunger. These included: increased benefit levels and participation rates in Food Stamp program; raise the minimum wage to a living wage; and, enact policies to create more jobs and increase household incomes.

Homelessness

• During the past year requests for emergency shelter increased in the survey cities by an average of 19 percent, with 88 percent of the cities registering an increase. Requests for shelter by homeless families alone increased by 20 percent, with 88 percent of the cities reporting an increase.
• An average of 30 percent of the requests for emergency shelter by homeless people overall and 38 percent of the requests by homeless families alone are estimated to have gone unmet during the last year. In 60 percent of the cities, emergency shelters may have to turn away homeless families due to lack of resources; in 56 percent they may also have to turn away other homeless people.
• People remain homeless an average of 6 months in the survey cities. Eighty-two percent of the cities said that the length of time people are homeless increased during the last year.
• Lack of affordable housing leads the list of causes of homelessness identified by the city officials. Other causes cited, in order of frequency, include mental illness and the lack of needed services, substance abuse and the lack of needed services, low paying jobs, domestic violence, unemployment, poverty, prison release, downturn in the economy, limited life skills, and change and cuts in public assistance programs.
• Officials estimate that, on average, single men comprise 41 percent of the homeless population, families with children 41 percent, single women 13 percent and unaccompanied minors five percent. The homeless population is estimated to be 50 percent African-American, 35 percent white, 12 percent Hispanic, two percent Native American and one percent Asian. An average of 23 percent of homeless people in the cities are considered mentally ill; 32 percent are substance abusers; 22 percent are employed; and 10 percent are veterans.
• In 40 percent of the cities, families may have to break up in order to be sheltered. In 32 percent of the cities families may have to spend their daytime hours outside of the shelter they use at night.
• City officials made a number of recommendations of policies the federal government could do to help alleviate homelessness. These included: increased funding for affordable housing, support and fund the National Housing Trust fund, and support strategies for people to earn living wage.

Housing

• Requests for assisted housing by low- income families and individuals increased in 88 percent of the cities during the last year. Thirty-one percent of eligible low- income households are currently served by assisted housing programs. City officials estimate that low- income households spend an average of 49 percent of their income on housing.
• Applicants must wait an average of 19 months for public housing in the survey cities. The wait for Section 8 Certificates is 21 months, for Section 8 Vouchers, 23 months. Forty-eight percent of the cities have stopped accepting applications for at least one assisted housing program due to the excessive length of the waiting list.

The Outlook

• Officials in 100 percent of the responding cities expect requests for emergency food assistance to increase during 2003. Ninety-six percent expect that requests for emergency food assistance by families with children will increase during 2003. Officials in 100 percent of the cities expect that requests for emergency shelter will increase next year. One hundred percent expect that requests by homeless families will increase.