Atlanta Homeless Shelter Atlanta Mission Break Down Homelessness by the Numbers

    ATLANTA, GA, September 24, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Providers of women shelters in Atlanta Atlanta Mission know that homelessness is a tragic problem that faces this southern city. The economy, foreclosures and the lack of adequate jobs have forced many people onto the city streets. Your son or daughter may even sit next to a homeless child in school. More than 58,000 children in Georgia are homeless. The guy in the window at your favorite fast food restaurant may have never missed a day of work but can't afford to provide housing for his family. On any given night here in Atlanta, there are 10,000 people faced with homelessness. Forty percent are women and children.

Counting the People No One Sees
It is difficult to get an accurate count of the homeless because not all homeless are in shelters or have been included in census statistics. Some homeless individuals and families move from couch to couch, in and out of friends' and families' homes. The largest segment of the homeless population is women, children and families. In the Atlanta area, a worker making minimum wage cannot afford a two bedroom apartment at fair market value. If one or both parents lose their job, sometimes the streets of our city are the only option. The average age of a homeless person is nine years old.

We are More than a Statistic
Most of the time, homelessness is temporary. Unfortunately, temporary shelter can be difficult to find. A survey taken of their homeless shelters in Georgia over a three county area found that they were short by 1,700 beds. That's 1,700 men, women and children with no shelter.

The most common cause of homelessness is unemployment, but even those who are employed sometimes find themselves homeless and unable to pay their rent or utilities with the income they earn. From 2000 to 2009, the average rent and utilities for a two bedroom apartment have increased by 41 percent across the nation.

"Atlanta is developing resources to provide services and shelter to our city's homeless, but they need help from citizens and government officials. Increasing awareness and education are the best ways to receive the funding necessary to provide Atlanta homeless shelters and services to our homeless citizens," states Josh Deyton, Director of External Marketing of Atlanta Mission. "These statistics are provided to help explain the impact homelessness is having, but do not forget that each number represents a human being."

Learn more about their homeless shelters in Atlanta by heading to http://atlantamission.org.

About Atlanta Mission:
Atlanta Mission was established in 1938 and is now the city's largest and longest-running provider of services to homeless men, women and children. They offer emergency and temporary shelter, recovery programs, job attainment services and transitional housing for more than 950 men, women and children on a daily basis.

To learn more, go to http://www.atlantamission.org/.

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