Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

[Rajiv]

Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

SAN JOSE (KCBS) -- San Jose leaders want to increase awareness about the number of people living in poverty in one of the wealthiest areas of the country.

[MEDIA]http://podcast.kcbs.com/kcbs/2158809.mp3[/MEDIA]

Greg Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities, said a quarter of the population in Silicon Valley is now living in poverty.

“It’s no longer the cost of food. It’s the cost of housing, the cost of healthcare, the cost of transportation that really drives the federal poverty rate a lot higher,” he said. “In this county, it’s three-times the federal rate.”

“The reality is that people have to make those tradeoffs,” said Kepferle.

“Do I pay the rent, or do I pay for my medication. Do I pay for the gas, or do I pay to get my kid into childcare. That’s affecting almost 25% of the population.”

He told KCBS even affluent areas of the city are starting to see the homeless.

[MulaMan]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

I wonder if that includes illegal immigrants? I imagine in San Jose there could actually be 25% illegals given the 10% statewide estimate. All of East San Jose is basically illegal, an entire city really that feeds labor to the entire Bay Area.

Illegal Immigrants cost California $10 billion a year back in 2004, a couple of years and the California deficit is paid off.

Contrary to what the media states - most citizens do not benefit from illegals besides a cheaper car wash and maid now and then.

Big argriculture, food processing, consturction, garment districut, ... many business owners would otherwise need to pay a living wage plus benefits to Americans...sure prices might rise but so would the standard of living of Americans...not like food and clothes are expensive to begin with.

I found out my roofing contractor was paying his crew $3 per hour so I documented it with video, threaten not to pay, told him to take me courthim, and got 50% off the estimate!

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/immigr...caillegals.htm

[flintlock]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

TANSTAAFL. Cheap labor? Ha!

What really nauseates me is when I hear some yuppie trying to claim he is "helping" an illegal by paying $5 hour when he really just a cheapskate wants his grass cut for cheap. Sure, maybe he is helping, but that is not the homeowner's intention.

[BigBagel]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

I found out my roofing contractor was paying his crew $3 per hour so I documented it with video, threaten not to pay, told him to take me courthim, and got 50% off the estimate!

Why do business with such a person?

[jpatter666]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

Why do business with such a person?

And could you ever trust the work?

[Starving Steve]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

How nice that the wealthy who live in Los Gatos, Saratoga, the Almaden Valley, Cupertino, and the Santa Cruz Mountains have finally discovered that 25% of the people in San Jose are starving. It only took 30 years for them to make this discovery.:rolleyes:

[Ghent12]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

And could you ever trust the work?

And how much were his people paid per hour after that?

[Gresham]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

And how much were his people paid per hour after that?

Well he got 50% off the bid and the workers were making $3.00 per hr. so now they are making $1.50.

[snowman111]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

I found out my roofing contractor was paying his crew $3 per hour so I documented it with video, threaten not to pay, told him to take me courthim, and got 50% off the estimate!

I am surprised he is able to pay less then what experienced construction workers are making in Oaxaca, Mexico.

I also find interesting your view of illegal immigrants being bad if you pay full price but they become acceptable at around 50% discount.

[opticsguy]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

What about moving someplace cheaper? It must suck being a landless serf amongst hereditary landowners.

Oh, I forgot, the generous welfare network of CA makes poverty there so much better than poverty in, say, Houston.

[Slimprofits]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

What about moving someplace cheaper? It must suck being a landless serf amongst hereditary landowners.

Oh, I forgot, the generous welfare network of CA makes poverty there so much better than poverty in, say, Houston.

much better weather in ca

[flintlock]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

I also find interesting your view of illegal immigrants being bad if you pay full price but they become acceptable at around 50% discount.

And could you ever trust the work?

Why do business with such a person?

Great comments.

[Rajiv]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

When you are living in poverty, you do not have the resources to be able to pack up and move.

FYI two fact sheets

Why Are People Homeless?

Two trends are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the past 20-25 years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty. Below is an overview of current poverty and housing statistics, as well as additional factors contributing to homelessness. A list of resources for further study is also provided.

FORECLOSURE

Recently, foreclosures have increased the number of people who experience homelessness. The National Coalition for the Homeless released an entire report discussing the relationship between foreclosure and homelessness. The report found that there was a 32% jump in the number of foreclosures between April 2008 and April 2009. Since the start of the recession, six million jobs have been lost. In May 2009, the official unemployment rate was 9.4%. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that 40 percent of families facing eviction due to foreclosure are renters and 7 million households living on very low incomes (31 - 50 percent of Area Median Income) are at risk of foreclosure.

POVERTY

Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. Poor people are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, childcare, health care, and education. Difficult choices must be made when limited resources cover only some of these necessities. Often it is housing, which absorbs a high proportion of income that must be dropped. If you are poor, you are essentially an illness, an accident, or a paycheck away from living on the streets.

In 2007, 12.5% of the U.S. population, or 37,300,00 million people, lived in poverty. The official poverty rate in 2007 was not statistically different than 2006 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2007). Children are overrepresented, composing 35.7% of people in poverty while only being 24.8% of the total population.

Two factors help account for increasing poverty: eroding employment opportunities for large segments of the workforce and the declining value and availability of public assistance.

ERODING WORK OPPORTUNITIES

Reasons why homelessness persists include stagnant or falling incomes and less secure jobs which offer fewer benefits.

Low-wage workers have been particularly have been left behind as the disparity between rich and poor has mushroomed. To compound the problem, the real value of the minimum wage in 2004 was 26% less than in 1979 (The Economic Policy Institute, 2005). Factors contributing to wage declines include a steep drop in the number and bargaining power of unionized workers; erosion in the value of the minimum wage; a decline in manufacturing jobs and the corresponding expansion of lower-paying service-sector employment; globalization; and increased nonstandard work, such as temporary and part-time employment (Mishel, Bernstein, and Schmitt, 1999). To combat this, Congress has planned a gradual minimum wage increase, resulting in minimum wage raised to $9.50 by 2011.

Declining wages, in turn, have put housing out of reach for many workers: in every state, more than the minimum wage is required to afford a one- or two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent. [1] A recent U.S. Conference of Mayors report stated that in every state more than the minimum-wage is required to afford a one or two-bedroom apartment at 30% of his or her income, which is the federal definition of affordable housing. Unfortunately, for 12 million Americans, more then 50% of their salaries go towards renting or housing costs, resulting in sacrifices in other essential areas like health care and savings.

The connection between impoverished workers and homelessness can be seen in homeless shelters, many of which house significant numbers of full-time wage earners. In 2007, a survey performed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that 17.4% of homeless adults in families were employed while 13% of homeless single adults or unaccompanied youth were employed. In the 2008 report, eleven out of nineteen cities reported an increased in employed homeless people.

With unemployment rates remaining high, jobs are hard to find in the current economy. Even if people can find work, this does not automatically provide an escape from poverty.

DECLINE IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

The declining value and availability of public assistance is another source of increasing poverty and homelessness. Until its repeal in August 1996, the largest cash assistance program for poor families with children was the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (the federal welfare reform law) repealed the AFDC program and replaced it with a block grant program called Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). In 2005, TANF helped a third of the children that AFDC helped reach above the 50% poverty line. Unfortunately, TANF has not been able to kept up with inflation. In 2006-2008, TANF case load has continued to decline while food stamp caseloads have increased

Moreover, extreme poverty is growing more common for children, especially those in female-headed and working families. This increase can be traced directly to the declining number of children lifted above one-half of the poverty line by government cash assistance for the poor (Children's Defense Fund and the National Coalition for the Homeless, 1998).

As a result of loss of benefits, low wages, and unstable employment, many families leaving welfare struggle to get medical care, food, and housing.
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Who is Homeless?

This fact sheet reviews definitions of homelessness and describes the demographic characteristics of persons who experience homelessness. A list of resources for further study is also provided.

DEFINITIONS

According to the Stewart B. McKinney Act, 42 U.S.C. § 11301, et seq. (1994), a person is considered homeless who "lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence; and... has a primary night time residency that is: (A) a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations... (B) An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or (C) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings." The term “homeless individual” does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained pursuant to an Act of Congress or a state law." 42 U.S.C. § 11302(c)

The education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act includes a more comprehensive definition of homelessness. This statute states that the term ‘homeless child and youth’ (A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence... and (B) includes: (i) children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement; (ii) children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a private or public place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings... (iii) children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings, and (iv) migratory children...who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii). McKinney-Vento Act sec. 725(2); 42 U.S.C. 11435(2).

Other federal agencies, such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), interpret the McKinney-Vento definition to include only those persons who are on the streets or in shelters and persons who face imminent eviction (within a week) from a private dwelling or institution and who have no subsequent residence or resources to obtain housing. This interpretation of homelessness serves large, urban communities where tens of thousands of people are literally homeless. However, it may prove problematic for those persons who are homeless in areas of the country, such as rural areas, where there are few shelters. People experiencing homelessness in these areas are less likely to live on the street or in a shelter, and more likely to live with relatives in overcrowded or substandard housing (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1996).

DEMOGRAPHICS

Two trends are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the past 20-25 years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty. Persons living in poverty are most at risk of becoming homeless, and demographic groups who are more likely to experience poverty are also more likely to experience homelessness. Recent demographic statistics are summarized below.

AGE

In 2003, children under the age of 18 accounted for 39% of the homeless population; 42% of these children were under the age of five (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2004). This same study found that unaccompanied minors comprised 5% of the urban homeless population. However, in other cities and especially in rural areas, the numbers of children experiencing homelessness are much higher. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, in 2004, 25% of homeless were ages 25 to 34; the same study found percentages of homeless persons aged 55 to 64 at 6%.

GENDER

Most studies show that single homeless adults are more likely to be male than female. In 2007, a survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that of the population surveyed 35% of the homeless people who are members of households with children are male while 65% of these people are females. However, 67.5% of the single homeless population is male, and it is this single population that makes up 76% of the homeless populations surveyed (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2007).

FAMILIES

The number of homeless families with children has increased significantly over the past decade. Families with children are among the fastest growing segments of the homeless population. In its 2007 survey of 23 American cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that families with children comprised 23% of the homeless population (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2007). These proportions are likely to be higher in rural areas. Research indicates that families, single mothers, and children make up the largest group of people who are homeless in rural areas (Vissing, 1996). All 21 cities with available data cited an increase in the number of persons requesting food assistance for the first-time. The increase was particularly notable among working families. (U.S. conference of mayors 2008)

As the number of families experiencing homelessness rises and the number of affordable housing units shrinks, families are subject to much longer stays in the shelter system. For instance, in the mid-1990s in New York, families stayed in a shelter an average of five months before moving on to permanent housing. Today, the average stay is 5.7 months, and some surveys say the average is closer to a year (U. S. Conference of Mayors, 2007 and Santos, 2002). For more information, see our fact sheet on Homeless Families with Children.

ETHNICITY

In its 2006 survey of 25 cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayor found that the sheltered homeless population is estimated to be 42 percent African-American, 38 percent white, 20 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Native American and 2 percent Asian. (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2006). Like the total U.S. population, the ethnic makeup of homeless populations varies according to geographic location. For example, people experiencing homelessness in rural areas are much more likely to be white; homelessness among Native Americans and migrant workers is also largely a rural phenomenon (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1996).

VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Battered women who live in poverty are often forced to choose between abusive relationships and homelessness. In a study of 777 homeless parents (the majority of whom were mothers) in ten U.S. cities, 22% said they had left their last place of residence because of domestic violence (Homes for the Homeless, 1998). A 2003 survey of 100 homeless mothers in 10 locations around the country found that 25% of the women had been physically abused in the last year (American Civil Liberties Union, 2004). In addition, 50% of the 24 cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005). Studying the entire country, though, reveals that the problem is even more serious. Nationally, approximately half of all women and children experiencing homelessness are fleeing domestic violence (Zorza, 1991; National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2001). For more information, see our fact sheet on Domestic Violence and Homelessness. Twenty two cities reported that, on average, 15 percent of homeless persons were victims of domestic violence (U.S. Conference of Mayors 2008).

VETERANS

Research indicates that 40% of homeless men have served in the armed forces, as compared to 34% of the general adult population (Rosenheck et al., 1996). In 2005, the U.S. Conference of Mayors' survey of 24 American cities found that 11% of the homeless population were veterans – however, this does not take gender into account (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005). The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans estimates that on any given night, 271,000 veterans are homeless (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 1994). For more information, see our fact sheet on Homeless Veterans. The 24 cities providing this information estimated that 13 percent of persons experiencing homelessness were veterans. Veterans are slightly over-represented among the homeless population compared to their prevalence in the overall population (11.2 percent) (U.S. Conference of Mayors 2008).
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Both of these are educative reads. I would hope that people educate themselves about the causes of poverty and homelessness before making off the cuff remarks that reflect their biases. And my observation is that most of these off the cuff remarks come from preconceived notions and from an inability to be able to put themselves in the other person's shoes -- often because their own life experiences have not put them any where close to penury.

[Quincy K]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

Would you ever rent to a homeless person?

I won't rent to a person with bad credit(judgements,excessive debt,late payments). Trust me, it's not worth it because they have no skin in the game. I had some people(bad credit) that thought they were in the driver's seat because of the economy trying to dictate terms. I told them 12 months lease paid in advance in addition to the highest deposit permitted by state law.

Because once they BK on you, you are screwed.

I would venture to say that 75 percent of the people that are homeless are that way for a reason...a reason I want nothing to do with.

[Rajiv]

Re: Nearly 25% of San Jose Residents Now Live in Poverty

Yes that among others, is one of the reasons that once you enter poverty (for whatever reason,) it is very difficult to get out of the viscious cycle without adequate help. Adequate help typically cannot come from charities (which normally are underfunded, and offer little systemic help) -- like it or not state help is the only viable way to help the poor and homeless to break the cycle.)