Homeless in 2008
categorized as “precariously housed” were staying with family or friends
or in hotels/motels. These people would be considered homeless under the more
expansive U.S. Department of Education definition of homelessness, but not under
the definition adopted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Children were more likely to be in families that were precariously housed or living
in homeless shelters. About 71% of the survey respondents who were precariously
housed were women. The unsheltered homeless were generally middle aged adults,
59% of those survey respondents were men. The sheltered homeless were split almost
evenly between women and men. Using the broader definition of homelessness, the
majority of Georgia’s homeless population are women and children.
What causes homelessness in Georgia?
Two factors play a huge part in the lives of people who become homeless: extreme
poverty and personal vulnerability.
Extreme Poverty
People can become homeless because of:
• very low incomes,
• unemployment, or
• the lack of available affordable housing.
Income and the cost of housing
People who are poor face a much higher risk of becoming homeless. Georgia’s poorest
citizens, who earn 50% or less of the poverty level, are at particular risk.
Housing Wage6
Georgia Non-metro Georgia Atlanta MSA
Annual Income Needed to
Afford Fair Market Rent*
One bedroom apartment ,712 ,949 ,640
Two-bedroom apartment ,084 ,257 ,960
*income needed to pay rent and utilities, without paying more than 30% of income on housing
Dr. Larry Keating, then Professor of City and Regional Planning at Georgia Tech,
conducted a study looking at households with low or moderate-incomes who have
one or more housing problems (cost burden, over-crowding, and/or lack of plumbing
and complete kitchen facilities).7 Using data from the 2000 Census, Dr. Keating found
that 256,146 households (renters and homeowners) were spending 50% or more of
their gross incomes on housing. These are families for whom the cost of housing places
them in danger of becoming homeless. Using those averages, over 725,000 Georgians
live in households paying more than 50% of gross income for housing.
Number of persons living in poverty in Georgia in 2006: 1.3 million
Number of persons with incomes that are one-half or less of the poverty level (extreme poverty): 595,665
Nationally, for every 100 extremely low- income renters there were 78 rental units that they could afford, but only 44 were actually available. The remainder were occupied by higher income households.
In Georgia, a family needs a yearly
income of ,084 to afford a two bedroom
apartment – well above the
poverty rate for a family of four.
Out of Reach 2007 – 2008, National Low Income
Housing Coalition
Severely Cost Burdened
Number of Households
Severely Cost Burdened Home
Owner Households*
97,224
Severely Cost Burdened Renter
Households
158,922
* low and moderate income households paying 50% or more of their incomes on rent/mortgage and utilities, based
on 2000 Census data
In December 2007, over 200,000 Georgians were receiving SSI (Supplemental Security
Income). The recipients of these funds are low-income aged or disabled persons. The
monthly SSI payment in Georgia (see below) is less than the Fair Market Rent for a onebedroom
apartment in the state.9
2008 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in Georgia8
Monthly SSI Payment 7
Fair Market Rent for One-bedroom Apartment 3
Personal Vulnerability
The other factor that plays a role for many people that experience homelessness is a
personal situation that leaves them vulnerable to the loss of housing, such as:
• mental illness
• substance abuse
• developmental disabilities or brain injury
• physical disabilities or chronic medical problems
• family violence
• prior evictions or poor credit
• criminal background
Many individuals and families have personal vulnerabilities that place them at
significant risk of becoming homeless. Disabilities, including mental illness and drug
and alcohol abuse, exact a terrible toll on people. In the 2007 Metro Atlanta Tri-
Jurisdiction Survey, about 58% of the respondents indicated that they had one or more
disabilities. Of those, 22% had multiple disabilities. From a survey of 24 cities, the U.S.
Conference of