Our increasing poverty is directly caused by the declining value of minimum wage and by the decline of public assistance. Rents in most cities are on the rise and subsidized housing is quickly diminishing. In DC, over 18,000 people are on the waiting list for Section 8 housing, and over 10,000 people are on the waiting list for public housing. Individuals and families are often left waiting on these lists for years. Moreover, once someone obtains a Section 8 housing voucher from DC's Housing Authority, they are hard-pressed to find any landlord that will accept it.
Employment often provides no relief from homelessness.
For example, temporary day laborers in DC often face homelessness in addition to constant exploitation. Often the cost of transportation, equipment, and meals prevents them from saving any money from their labor for companies such as Waste Management Inc., in Maryland. A US Conference of Mayors Report recently found that in 30 US cities surveyed, one in five people experiencing homelessness is employed. In many cities not surveyed, the number was even greater. Other factors that contribute to homelessness include corporate globalization, lack of affordable healthcare, domestic violence, mental illness and addiction disorders.