If you have watched or read much news anytime in the past five years, you are likely familiar with the phrase “housing crisis.” We are, apparently, in the middle of one, and it keeps getting worse.
For thousands of people in the United States, these past years did not represent a housing crisis, because “crisis” implies a new emergency. For those experiencing homelessness, living without safe, stable housing is an ongoing reality, not a new trend brought on by the economy.
When living without a basic human right like housing, I would argue that each day could be deemed an emergency, but it is not generally seen as such. Because of the economy, loss of housing has gotten more attention in the past few years, and in February of 2009, a new policy was instituted that aimed to bring some economic relief to those struggling with their housing. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was a measure that made $1.5 billion available for a fund called the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP).
HPRP provided funding to quickly rehouse and stabilize those who lost their housing, so funding could be used for everything from rent to moving costs, security deposits, utilities, and case management. With a cost of $1.5 billion, this program was not inexpensive, but it might have been worth it in the eyes of the federal government. New reports released this month indicate that on average across the country, the number of people experiencing homelessness has not increased in the past five years. In a time of “crisis,” it really is remarkable that programs were able to keep the numbers of homeless people unchanged.
Results were apparently so excellent that the HPRP ended this fall. There is no new funding available, and what has been distributed must be spent before various upcoming deadlines. Are we to understand that this means the housing crisis has ended?
I assure you that it has not. While it is impressive that the money was able to keep the homelessness rates from changing in a period of economic strain, it is also infuriating. Hearing that the rate of homelessness has not changed in five years should not be a point of pride but a sign that we have made no progress in this area for too long. Yes, thousands of people were able to avoid long-term homelessness because of these dollars, but thousands more are living the realities of homelessness every day without the same attention or help.
This money was not really meant for those experiencing homelessness. While some people might have been eligible and received some of this funding, it is clear that the bulk of the money was intended for those who were in danger of falling out of the middle class. Now that many people are stably housed, the program has closed its doors, leaving hundreds of thousands of people out in the cold.
For a price tag of $1.5 billion, the United States was able to accomplish something incredible – keeping people housed during a time of economic turmoil. This indicates that that the crisis that is housing is not a really a crisis at all. Strong programs, when funded adequately, can dramatically alleviate housing problems. Despite this success, we gave up in September of 2012, content with keeping the numbers steady.
Why not keep working? There are still hundreds of thousands of people living in a true housing crisis, and the solution to the problem is not so complicated.
Next Time: Who Pays for Homelessness?
[Photo: Times Union]
