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WOMEN WITH CHILDREN HIT HARDEST BY SLOW ECONOMY

Rescue Mission Assistance up Dramatically in 20^th Annual Survey of Homeless

(Kansas City, Mo., November 7, 2008) High fuel and food prices, economic turmoil, and foreclosures are hitting single women with children harder than any other group, according to a survey of 22,000 homeless people conducted last month by the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM). Women with children made up 66 percent of the homeless families counted in the survey, a jump from 55 percent in 2007 and the highest figure recorded in the last eight years.

“We’ve got 325 beds available, and our mission is always full,” said John Anderson, president/CEO of the Bay Area Rescue Mission in Richmond, Calif. “In September, we turned away more than 1,100 individuals, mostly women with children. We just didn’t have room for them. Our turn-aways have jumped more than 400 percent from the same month last year. The increase began in mid-July and has been steadily growing ever since.”

The 20^th annual Snapshot Survey of the Homeless, completed in October at 137 rescue missions across North America, recorded more women than ever before, 26 percent of those responding, as compared to 24 percent in 2007. The total number of people taking the survey was up 11 percent from the previous year.

“In these tough economic times, homelessness may be becoming a suburban issue, not just a skid-row issue,” said John Ashmen, executive director of AGRM. He noted that recession-induced layoffs and bank foreclosures on rental properties—a traditional housing option for lower-income individuals—sometimes leave people homeless through no fault of their own. “With so much additional need, now is the time for Americans to help. Even a small donation will mean a lot to organizations on the front lines of the economic downturn.”

Burt Rosen has seen that increased need at the Knox Area Rescue Mission in Knoxville, Tenn., where he is executive director.

“Our mission’s family residential program has seen an unprecedented demand from families where neither parent has a noted need for drug or alcohol recovery services,” he said. “They are displaced because of loss of job or home and just need help getting back on their feet.”

At the Los Angeles Mission, service requests are up 8 percent over last year.

“We are receiving requests for services via the Internet from people who are either presently displaced or will be shortly,” said Herb Smith, mission CEO. “It is a very different clientele for us.”

Missions are making every effort to help people keep their jobs and stay in their homes. The Open Door Mission in Omaha, Neb., reports direct client services are up 46 percent in 2008, although shelter requests have only grown by 13 percent.

“The real increase has been in meals and preventative measures,” said Candace Gregory, mission CEO. “Last month, we served 45,000 meals and provided preventative measures (i.e. food boxes, utilities assistance or rental assistance) to 7,000 low-income families. The increased costs of food, utilities and gasoline have impacted our community greatly.”

Among the families coming to missions for assistance, 66 percent were headed by women (55 percent in 2007), 15 percent were couples (16 percent), 14 percent intact families—man, woman and child/children (24 percent)—and 5 percent were single men with children.

Even with so many newly homeless people in need of help, the basic demographic makeup of mission guests did not change appreciably this year from 2007. Caucasians made up 46 percent of those served (47 percent in 2007), African-Americans 35 percent (36 percent), Hispanics 11 percent (10 percent), Asians 2 percent (1 percent) and Native Americans 5 percent (6 percent last year).

Those 46 to 65 years of age made up the largest segment of the sample (31 percent), followed by people 36 to 45 years (26 percent), 26 to 35 years (18 percent), children under age 18 (12 percent), 18 to 25 years (9 percent) and those older than 65 (4 percent). These figures were nearly identical to 2007.

Continuing a declining trend from previous surveys, 18 percent of the male respondents indicated that they were veterans, a drop from 21 percent in 2007. Of the veterans, 33 percent served in Vietnam, 15 percent in the Persian Gulf and 4 percent in Korea.

In general, people responding to the survey come to the mission daily for help (77 percent), and were residents of the community in which they received service (73 percent). Most had been homeless less than one year (60 percent), had never before been homeless (33 percent) or had been homeless only once previously (24 percent).

More than three-quarters (76 percent) of the sample prefer to receive assistance from an agency with a spiritual emphasis.

Founded in 1913, the Kansas City-based Association of Gospel Rescue Missions represents roughly 270 rescue missions in communities across North America. AGRM exists to proclaim the passion of Jesus toward the hungry, homeless, abused and addicted; and to accelerate quality and effectiveness in member missions. Last year, AGRM member ministries served more than 42 million meals, provided 15 million nights of lodging, distributed more than 27 million pieces of clothing and graduated 18,000 homeless men and women into productive living.

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For more information, see the AGRM website at www.agrm.org, or call 1-800-4RESCUE.

Snapshot Survey of the Homeless

Statistical Comparison

2008 2007

Gender

Male 74% 76%

Female 26% 24%

Age Groups*

Under 18 12% 12%

18–25 9% 9%

26–35 18% 17%

36–45 26% 26%

46–65 31% 31%

65+ 4% 5%

Race/Ethnic Groups*

Caucasian 46% 47%

African-American 35% 36%

Hispanic 11% 10%

Asian 2% 1%

Native American 5% 6%

Women/Children/Families*

Couples 15% 16%

Women with children 66% 55%

Men with children 5% 5%

Intact families 14% 24%

Other Information

Veterans – male 18% 21%

Veterans – female 3% 3%

Served in Korea 4% 5%

Served in Vietnam 33% 42%

Served in Persian Gulf 15% 14%

Homeless less than one year 60% 61%

Never before homeless 33% 35%

Homeless once previously 24% 25%

Homeless twice previously 18% 18%

Homeless 3+ times previously 25% 22%

More than 6-month resident 73% 72%

Victim of physical violence in last 12 months 18% 20%

Lost government benefits in last 12 months 15% 18%

Prefer spiritual emphasis in services 76% 80%

Comes to the mission daily for assistance 77% 76%

In long-term rehab – male 31% 35%

In long-term rehab – female 28% 35%

* Figures may not add up to 100% because of rounding