|
Homelessness
is not self inflicted nor is it simply the result of
irresponsibility. It is not a disease of the
uneducated or addicted. Homeless is often a failure
of the system.
Homelessness is a condition that is
reversible.
Many
working individuals are homeless due to jobs not paying
a living wage - a wage that supports their expenses in
the community in which they reside.
46%
of the jobs with the most growth, between 1994 and
2005 pay less than $15,000 per year.
In Sussex County, the 2011 fair market rent of an apartment was $1233.00 per month. The annual income needed to afford that apartment is $49,320.00 or an hourly wage of $23.71, which is 30% of the total family income that must be allotted to housing expenses (The national average for a 2-bedroom apartment is $900).
|