Lance Cheslock
The Paw Print
Rural homelessness is a silent epidemic afflicting thousands of individuals and families every year. The plight of the rural homeless receives little attention, and subsequently, only meager federal and philanthropic resources have come forward to address the problem. The result is often called “Greyhound Therapy” meaning that the rural homeless are forced to migrate to cities to find shelter and services.
In a recent publication, the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) printed a map of the United States where each state was color-coded to reflect its “rate” of homelessness. Washington D.C. happened to be included among the 50 states, and it was no surprise to see that D.C. won first place for the nation’s highest rate, measured at 1% of the population. It is truly a national tragedy that our nation’s capital would win this prize. Sizable federal and philanthropic resources have been invested into the D.C. area over the years in an effort to overcome this dubious distinction.
Yet hidden within the numbers depicting the nation’s rates of homelessness is another tragic reality: many rural communities throughout the United States have rates of homelessness even more extreme than Washington, D.C. For example, in Colorado’s San Luis Vlley, a state sponsored point-in-time census of the homeless showed their poor rural community held a rate of homelessness of 1.1%, a rate that is three times that of Denver. In fact, there are many rural communities where counts of the homeless show rates much higher than urban averages. Rural areas in eastern Kentucky, northeastern North Carolina, the Mississippi Delta, central South Dakota, northwestern New Mexico, southern Texas, and northern Washington, to name a few, all have rates of homelessness higher than urban norms.
It is difficult to quantify the full extent of rural homelessness. Many rural areas have never conducted homeless counts, and it is not yet known how many rural homeless are lodged in urban shelters. Poor rural communities don’t have the resources or the technical support to conduct effective counts of the homeless. For example, the map published by the NAEH shows that Mississippi has lowest rate of homelessness in the nation. We know, however, that Mississippi’s rural areas are some of the nation’s poorest, and poverty is the primary indicator of homeless rates. The result is that Mississippi’s rural homeless get minimal resources because from a statistical vantage point, they do not exist. This is reflective of the national picture as well; incomplete statistics act as a justification for not addressing rural homelessness, yet inadequate resources are available to complete the statistics.
Fortunately, there is a growing body of knowledge that sheds light on the complex nature of rural homelessness. Current studies find that the rural homeless are men, women, and families, just like in urban areas. Yet, compared to the urban homeless the rural homeless include a higher percentage of women, married couples, employed homeless, and immigrant workers. In addition, 62% of the rural homeless were first-time homeless, compared to the 16% rate for cities. National policy has shifted to prioritize assisting the chronically homeless, but this shift was driven by urban demographics, ignoring the strikingly different experience of rural America.
Many factors are at play in making rural areas more vulnerable to homelessness than their urban counterparts. Unemployment is greater in most rural areas, often twice that of urban areas. Rural economies often depend on only one or two forms of industry. For example, in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, the economy is based primarily on agriculture and tourism. During a drought year, there are no other forms of industry to pick up the loss. Urban areas have diverse economies and have more job options for displaced / homeless people.
Contributing to the rate of rural homelessness is the fact that the measured rate of poverty is significantly higher in rural areas than urban areas, as lower wages in rural America are often not offset by a lower cost of living. This puts tremendous economic pressure on families. In addition, the increasing cost of housing and utilities has far out-paced the growth in wages, forcing the working poor in rural communities to pay a high percentage of their income for housing. This leaves little or no resources available to assist when crisis hits the household. Homeless individuals and families in rural areas rely heavily on the generosity of friends and family. They are less likely than people in urban areas to be receiving government assistance in the form of food stamps, housing subsidies, or cash income, but they are more likely to receive cash assistance from acquaintances.
The rural homeless also experience shorter episodes of homelessness as defined by staying at a shelter or sleeping somewhere deemed inadequate for human lodging. They are also 2-4 times more likely than urban homeless to stay with family or friends. This “doubling up” does not imply that they have a permanent place to live, however, and their stay will often end abruptly due to an argument, a landlord’s policy, or a simple lack of space.
The rural homeless are also just as likely to have a mental health, alcohol, or drug problem, but less likely to have health insurance than people in urban areas, let alone have access to medical care. A lack of public transportation in rural areas reduces access to what limited medical care is available. Rural areas are isolated from urban resources, making it difficult to secure effective services. This isolation makes it expensive and time consuming for rural advocates to fully engage in funding and political circles.
As you can see, there are many unique economic, sociological, and geographical factors contributing to the causes of rural homelessness, and without outside help, the ranks of the rural homeless will continue to grow. As it stands now, their plight is an overwhelming task to address. Most of the individuals and families suffering displacement are forced to migrate to the cities to seek assistance. Greyhound Therapy will continue to be the first response to the rural homeless until there is greater awareness of this silent epidemic.
Rural homelessness is a silent epidemic afflicting thousands of individuals and families every year. The plight of the rural homeless receives little attention, and subsequently, only meager federal and philanthropic resources have come forward to address the problem. The result is often called “Greyhound Therapy” meaning that the rural homeless are forced to migrate to cities to find shelter and services.
In a recent publication, the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) printed a map of the United States where each state was color-coded to reflect its “rate” of homelessness. Washington D.C. happened to be included among the 50 states, and it was no surprise to see that D.C. won first place for the nation’s highest rate, measured at 1% of the population. It is truly a national tragedy that our nation’s capital would win this prize. Sizable federal and philanthropic resources have been invested into the D.C. area over the years in an effort to overcome this dubious distinction.
Yet hidden within the numbers depicting the nation’s rates of homelessness is another tragic reality: many rural communities throughout the United States have rates of homelessness even more extreme than Washington, D.C. For example, in Colorado’s San Luis Vlley, a state sponsored point-in-time census of the homeless showed their poor rural community held a rate of homelessness of 1.1%, a rate that is three times that of Denver. In fact, there are many rural communities where counts of the homeless show rates much higher than urban averages. Rural areas in eastern Kentucky, northeastern North Carolina, the Mississippi Delta, central South Dakota, northwestern New Mexico, southern Texas, and northern Washington, to name a few, all have rates of homelessness higher than urban norms.
It is difficult to quantify the full extent of rural homelessness. Many rural areas have never conducted homeless counts, and it is not yet known how many rural homeless are lodged in urban shelters. Poor rural communities don’t have the resources or the technical support to conduct effective counts of the homeless. For example, the map published by the NAEH shows that Mississippi has lowest rate of homelessness in the nation. We know, however, that Mississippi’s rural areas are some of the nation’s poorest, and poverty is the primary indicator of homeless rates. The result is that Mississippi’s rural homeless get minimal resources because from a statistical vantage point, they do not exist. This is reflective of the national picture as well; incomplete statistics act as a justification for not addressing rural homelessness, yet inadequate resources are available to complete the statistics.
Fortunately, there is a growing body of knowledge that sheds light on the complex nature of rural homelessness. Current studies find that the rural homeless are men, women, and families, just like in urban areas. Yet, compared to the urban homeless the rural homeless include a higher percentage of women, married couples, employed homeless, and immigrant workers. In addition, 62% of the rural homeless were first-time homeless, compared to the 16% rate for cities. National policy has shifted to prioritize assisting the chronically homeless, but this shift was driven by urban demographics, ignoring the strikingly different experience of rural America.
Many factors are at play in making rural areas more vulnerable to homelessness than their urban counterparts. Unemployment is greater in most rural areas, often twice that of urban areas. Rural economies often depend on only one or two forms of industry. For example, in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, the economy is based primarily on agriculture and tourism. During a drought year, there are no other forms of industry to pick up the loss. Urban areas have diverse economies and have more job options for displaced / homeless people.
Contributing to the rate of rural homelessness is the fact that the measured rate of poverty is significantly higher in rural areas than urban areas, as lower wages in rural America are often not offset by a lower cost of living. This puts tremendous economic pressure on families. In addition, the increasing cost of housing and utilities has far out-paced the growth in wages, forcing the working poor in rural communities to pay a high percentage of their income for housing. This leaves little or no resources available to assist when crisis hits the household. Homeless individuals and families in rural areas rely heavily on the generosity of friends and family. They are less likely than people in urban areas to be receiving government assistance in the form of food stamps, housing subsidies, or cash income, but they are more likely to receive cash assistance from acquaintances.
The rural homeless also experience shorter episodes of homelessness as defined by staying at a shelter or sleeping somewhere deemed inadequate for human lodging. They are also 2-4 times more likely than urban homeless to stay with family or friends. This “doubling up” does not imply that they have a permanent place to live, however, and their stay will often end abruptly due to an argument, a landlord’s policy, or a simple lack of space.
The rural homeless are also just as likely to have a mental health, alcohol, or drug problem, but less likely to have health insurance than people in urban areas, let alone have access to medical care. A lack of public transportation in rural areas reduces access to what limited medical care is available. Rural areas are isolated from urban resources, making it difficult to secure effective services. This isolation makes it expensive and time consuming for rural advocates to fully engage in funding and political circles.
As you can see, there are many unique economic, sociological, and geographical factors contributing to the causes of rural homelessness, and without outside help, the ranks of the rural homeless will continue to grow. As it stands now, their plight is an overwhelming task to address. Most of the individuals and families suffering displacement are forced to migrate to the cities to seek assistance. Greyhound Therapy will continue to be the first response to the rural homeless until there is greater awareness of this silent epidemic.
What’s Been Said…