Top 20 Meanest Cities to Homeless
While most cities throughout the country have either laws or practices that criminalize homeless persons, some city practices or laws have stood out as more egregious than others in their attempt to criminalize homelessness.The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty have chosen the following top 20 meanest cities in 2005 based on one or more of the following criteria: the number of anti-homeless laws in the city, the enforcement of those laws and severities of penalties, the general political climate toward homeless people in the city, local advocate support for the meanest designation, the city’s history of criminalization measures, and the existence of pending or recently enacted criminalization legislation in the city.
Although some of the report’s top 20 meanest cities have made some efforts to address homelessness in their communities, the punitive practices highlighted in the report impede true progress in solving the problem.
1. Sarasota, FL
2. Lawrence, KS
3. Little Rock, AR
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Las Vegas, NV
6. Dallas, TX
7. Houston, TX
8. San Juan, PR
9. Santa Monica, CA
10. Flagstaff, AZ
11. San Francisco, CA
12. Chicago, IL
13. San Antonio, TX
14. New York City, NY
15. Austin, TX
16. Anchorage, AK
17. Phoenix, AZ
18. Los Angeles, CA
19. St. Louis, MO
20. Pittsburgh, PA
We are glad to see we did not make the list.
Some facts:
On any given night in America, an estimated 750,000 people are homeless, and between 2 million and 3.5 millions Americans will be homeless for some portion of the year, many of them single mothers with their children (Source: National Alliance to End Homelessness).
There are many factors contributing factors, including a shortage of affordable housing, job loss, disability, mental illness and domestic violence. And while homelessness is generally a temporary situation, some shelter waiting lists have grown from days to weeks. And the problem is getting worse.
According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors 2002 Survey on Hunger and Homelessness, across the 25 cities participating in the survey, requests for emergency shelter grew by 19% last year, including an increasing number of families with young children -- the steepest climb in a decade. For shelters already stretched beyond their limits, this translates to an urgent need for donations and volunteers.
IN CINCINNATI
1. 25,000 people experienced homelessness at some point during the year 2000.
2. The local homeless population is rising rapidly, from 10,000 in 1986 to 20,000 in 1993 to 25,000 in 2000.
3. Homelessness has increased locally by 150% in the last 15 years.
4. The top two reasons people report for becoming homeless in Cincinnati are loss of income and the lack of affordable housing.
5. 12% of homeless women in Cincinnati are homeless as a result of domestic violence, the third highest reported cause of homelessness for women.
6. One third of the homeless population in Cincinnati is children.
7. African Americans make up 68% of Cincinnati’s homeless population.
8. African Americans are 43% of Cincinnati’s population.
9. About 20% of the homeless in Cincinnati are drug abusers or alcoholics.
10. Ohio is #4 among states in hate crimes against the homeless.
11. 60% of homeless men in Cincinnati work at least part-time.
12. Almost 60% of homeless men here are high school graduates; almost 5% have college degrees.college degrees.
