Contributing Factors
While circumstances vary, the main reason people experience homelessness is because they cannot find housing they can afford. A lack of affordable housing in the United States contributes to the inability to acquire or maintain housing, particularly in urban areas where homelessness is more prevalent (Source: National Alliance to End Homelessness).
A variety of additional factors can contribute to the problem: chief among these are poverty, a decline in levels of public assistance, lack of affordable health care, mental illness, and addictive disorders.
In our area, economic conditions are currently playing a large role: 35% of homeless individuals cite job loss as a trigger to their homelessness.