Monday, April 13, 2009
According to a study in the Seattle area, the number of seniors living in their vehicles is increasing, as the King County homeless population in general has risen 68% in the past year. This growing category of homeless includes people who have worked most of their lives and are often reluctant to seek help from social service agencies.
A survey conducted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition determined that a full-time worker earning minimum wage can no longer afford an average-priced one-bedroom apartment in the United States.
Michel Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, explains it this way: “People who have never experienced homelessness before first downsize and move to cheaper accommodations, That only lasts for a while. Then they turn to family and friends and when that runs out, cheap motels. Then they'll stay in cars or RVs. Their worst nightmare is having to knock on a shelter door and be considered homeless. But the reality is the shelters are full and we're not taking reservations.”
The situation is complicated by the fact that federal guidelines state that if a person owns a vehicle, he or she cannot qualify for aid to the homeless.
-David Wallechinsky
Keeping It Secret as the Family Car Becomes a Home (by Ian Urbina, New York Times)
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