They are younger, far less educated, and poorer than homeless families of only ten years ago. People are homeless because they are poor. When faced with choices of paying for housing, child care, health care, education, transportation, recreation, they face difficult choices. At least 20 percent of the homeless population are employed, but they're still homeless. The available and securable resources only cover part of necessary expenditures.
Income inequality is a growing reality of American society.
The difference between the two populations was principally education. The homeless poor are merely those at the very bottom of the 70 percent. There are simply not enough places to live. Domestic Violence - About 40 percent of the sheltered homeless population are family members, and the majority of those are families headed by women. The homeless have more time than they want, and it hangs heavy on their hands, but they have no time to wait for solutions.