Family Promise

HOMELESS STATS & FACTS 2012

• The average age of a homeless person in Gwinnett County is 6 years.

• The 2010 Census data shows that Georgia’s poverty rate was the third highest in the country with Gwinnett County having almost 14% of its population living below the poverty.

• During the 2010-2011 school year, the Gwinnett County School system accommodated over 1,655 known homeless students.

• The National Center on Family Homelessness reported that more than 1,5 million children in the United States are homeless each year and that Georgia has the second highest rate of homeless children in the country. The majority of homeless children in the country reside in very few states, Georgia being one of the highest (America’s Youngest Outcasts, 2009).

• According to the 2008 Gwinnett County Georgia Housing Stability Count and survey, 81% of those homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness in Gwinnett were members of families and 70% of those were children.

• Per the 2011 Estimates of Homelessness in GA study, from 2009 to 2011, Georgia’s total population grew by 1,48% while Georgia’s homeless population grew by 6,2% and homelessness continued to be a significant problem in Gwinnett County (Every Georgian Counts-Kennesaw State University 2011).

• In 2012, there were 26,300 evictions in Gwinnett County. At the average family size of 2,5 that equals approximately 120,562 family members that lost housing in 2011

• Children without a home are twice as likely as other children to experience hunger, to become sick with moderate to severe health problems, to repeat a grade, to be expelled, suspended or to drop out of school and fewer than 25% graduate from high school, according to the National Center on Family Homelessness (America’s Youngest Outcasts 2009).

• Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show 1.83 million people in Georgia living below the poverty level, some 18.7 percent of the state. It is the highest level since 1993.

• The 2010 Census data shows that Georgia’s poverty rate was the third highest in the country with Gwinnett County having almost 14% of its total population – and over 20% of its children – living below the poverty level.

• The National Center on Family Homelessness reported that more than 1.5 million children in the United States are homeless each year and that Georgia has the second highest rate of homeless children in the country. (America’s Youngest Outcasts, 2009).

• In 2012, there were 26,300 evictions in Gwinnett County. With the average family size of 2.75 that equals approximately 71,500 family members – just in Gwinnett — that lost housing.

• Gwinnett County had over 23,000 foreclosure notices in 2012, and is ground zero for foreclosures in Georgia since 2008. Georgia has ranked in the Top 5 in the U.S. for foreclosures since 2008.

• From 2007-2011 (5 years) Gwinnett County experienced over 88,475 Foreclosure Filings. In May 2012 alone, Gwinnett had 2,058 foreclosure notices compared to 1,971 in May 2011.

• There are over 16,000 “developed” vacant lots in Gwinnett County in 2012. This on top of the vacant properties mentioned above.

• The IMPACT! Group provides programs, services, and assistance to any resident of Gwinnett County and North Metro Atlanta no matter the socio-economic background. In 2012 (TIG) received requests for assistance from over 8,105 Families in Gwinnett County. These requests were for (a) emergency shelter, (b) transitional housing, and (c) foreclosure assistance & housing counseling. With the average size family at 2.8 that equates to over 22,694 people. Due to limited resources available, The IMPACT! Group was able to only provide assistance to 3,200 people. Approximately 14% of those in need. And that is just one agency in Gwinnett County.

• In 2011 The Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services experienced a total of 24,402 calls for assistance to its Help Line. Of those 9,756 were directly related to Housing. The vast majority of which was generated by their website. Adding an additional website will only drive up these numbers for an agency that is doing a super job but is already stretched to the max. Using the same math, that equates to over 26,800 citizens seeking emergency assistance in our County in 2011 just for housing. Add on top of that the numbers from TIG that means almost 50,000 people in Gwinnett sought housing assistance just for those 2 agencies.

• One out of three Gwinnett citizens would not be able to make a mortgage or rent payment next month if they suddenly lost their current job.

• Gwinnett’s “Wealth Index” is lower than it has ever been in 42 years (1969).

• 40 % of homeless men are veterans. (National Coalition for the Homeless) The average two-bedroom apartment in Atlanta rents for $834 a month. It is recommended not to spend more than 30 percent of your monthly income on housing. Therefore, to safely afford an average apartment in the city, a single-parent led family must somehow make at least $33,360 a year. (Dept. of Housing and Urban Development)

• Why are people homeless? Foreclosure, Poverty. Layoffs, Lack of public assistance, High rent, Unaffordable healthcare, Domestic violence, Mental illness, Addiction, etc