Report: Homelessness In Michigan Continues To Decline
LANSING (WWJ) - Homelessness in Michigan continues to drop as the state recovers from the wave of foreclosures that occurred in the wake of the national financial crisis, according to a report by the Michigan Campaign to End Homelessness.
In 2012, 93,619 people were homeless in Michigan, down from 100,001 in 2009, during the height of the Great Recession.
"Thanks to the efforts of our statewide partners, we're better equipped to address this issue," states the report, released in conjunction with the Eighth Annual Summit on Ending Homelessness.
"In the past we've simply held the line. Now we've started to move that line," the report states. "In the long-term we'll continue to move that line down toward zero. And people will continue to come home."
A deeper look at homelessness statistics shows signs of an improving economy. For example, a total of 14,105 people were employed when they exited temporary housing in 2012, up from 10,152 in 2009. Their incomes also increased, from $4,004 in 2009 to $7,012 in 2012.
In addition, 67 percent of those entering homeless shelters did not return to shelter anywhere in Michigan between 2010 and 2012. Also, 88 percent of households retained permanent supportive housing for more than seven months; 40 percent reported an increase in life skills, such as budgeting; and 40 percent reported higher safety in their housing environments.
To learn more about Michigan's Campaign to End Homelessness, click here.
