Report: Arkansas Among Top Five States With Unsheltered Homeless People
By:
Updated: January 16, 2013
A new national report says Arkansas is among five states with the highest percentage of homeless people going without shelter.
Sixty two percent of Arkansas' total homeless population are unsheltered, according to the most recent estimate by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
At least one Little Rock faith-based social service organization says demands for service are significantly up from 2011 to 2012.
"One major issue is funding," says Kathy Barbiere, Marketing and Communications Director for the Salvation Army's Little Rock Command Center.
Barbiere says the number meals the center served is up more than 11,000 and the number of people seeking shelter is up by more than 3,000.
Barbiere says the bad economy is a contributing factor but funding is also down.
"There's not enough funding or resources for people with mental illness and drug addiction," she says.
The other states with the highest percentage of unsheltered homeless people include: Wyoming (73.8 percent), California (64.9 percent), Florida (64.1 percent) and Nevada (60 percent), according to the HUD report.
Sixty two percent of Arkansas' total homeless population are unsheltered, according to the most recent estimate by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
At least one Little Rock faith-based social service organization says demands for service are significantly up from 2011 to 2012.
"One major issue is funding," says Kathy Barbiere, Marketing and Communications Director for the Salvation Army's Little Rock Command Center.
Barbiere says the number meals the center served is up more than 11,000 and the number of people seeking shelter is up by more than 3,000.
Barbiere says the bad economy is a contributing factor but funding is also down.
"There's not enough funding or resources for people with mental illness and drug addiction," she says.
The other states with the highest percentage of unsheltered homeless people include: Wyoming (73.8 percent), California (64.9 percent), Florida (64.1 percent) and Nevada (60 percent), according to the HUD report.
