Homelessness by the numbers

Did you know that: . . . there are approximately 500,000 homeless people in the United States at any one point in time?

. . . one in five homeless people are employed in full- or part-time jobs?

. . . approximately one-third of single adult homeless people suffer from some form of mental illness?

. . . at least 50 percent of homeless single adults have been diagnosed as having a drug or alcohol problem?

. . . approximately one-third of single homeless men have served in the U.S. armed forces?

. . . 80 percent of homeless veterans are high school graduates?

@credit:Source: National Coalition for the Homeless (Web site: http://nch.ari.net)

Did you know that: . . . there are approximately 150 homeless people in Palo Alto?

. . . there are approximately 1,700 people without shelter in Santa Clara County?

. . . approximately 7,500 experience a period of homelessness during a given year?

. . . 26 percent of homeless people in Santa Clara County are under the age of 18?

. . . 78 percent of homeless adults in Santa Clara County are male?

. . . 53 percent of homeless people in Santa Clara County graduated from high school, 7 percent are college graduates and 2 percent have postgraduate training? . . . 82 percent of Santa Clara County's homeless population state that their income is well below the county's "very low income" level of $27,000 for a four-person household?

. . . 41 percent of homeless people state that they earn less than $500 per month?

@credit:Source: Report on Homelessness in Santa Clara County, 1995, by Santa Clara County Collaborative on Housing and Homeless Issues and 1995 Consolidated Plan of city of Palo Alto