5,100 are adults 1,300
homeless children attend Broward public schools 5,100 are adults
1,300
homeless children attend Broward public schools
Of the adult population:
66
percent are Broward County residents
42
percent have a high school diploma or GED certification
50
percent have been homeless for less than one year
20
percent are employed
50
percent are Caucasian; 35 percent are black
50
percent are ages 35-64; 40 percent are ages 18-34
17
percent are veterans
39
percent suffer from alcohol abuse
32
percent suffer from drug abuse
21
percent have the AIDS virus
17
percent suffer from mental illness
17
percent have a physical disability
Who are the homeless at Fort Lauderdale’s Tent City:
39
percent are between the ages of 45-64
50
percent are black; 38 percent are white; 11 percent are Hispanic
38
percent were born in another state; 29 percent were born in Florida
45
percent have spent at least five years in Broward
38
percent have been homeless for at least one year
78
percent are male
74
percent have been homeless some place else
69
percent have been in the military
39
percent have a physical disability
37
percent completed high school
53
percent currently use drugs or alcohol
24
percent became homeless after loss of employment or income; 17 percent because of family
problems
* The study was based on 72 residents
National statistics
Officials
said there are no numbers available to know the extent of homelessness in the country.
“Anybody who tries to give you a number is pulling it out of the air,” said Mary
Ann Gleason, spokeswoman for the National Coalition for the Homeless.
The
average length of time someone is homeless is 10 months.
The
biggest national myth about homeless is that the average age is 9. The fact is even
printed on brochures of the Broward Coalition for the Homeless, but it’s not
accurate, Gleason said. She said the rumor got started from a poster which was promoting a
homeless shelter project for families in New York. The average age for their participants
was 9, but nationwide it’s an adult in their early 40s, she said.
Sources: Broward Coalition for the Homeless; Broward County
Bureau of Children and Family Services Homeless Outreach Program; the National Coalition
for the Homeless
Copyright 1999, Sun-Sentinel
Co. and South Florida Interactive, Inc.