The following information is taken
from “The 2003
Metro Atlanta Tri-Jurisdictional Collaborative Homeless Census and
Survey published in November 2003”
A perfect, scientific profile of a Tri-Jurisdictional (City of
Atlanta, Dekalb and Fulton Counties) homeless person in Metro Atlanta
is impossible to determine due to the challenge of getting a rigorous
sample of the homeless population. However, the research team interviewed
roughly 1,000 homeless people, and feels that an excellent and
fairly representative profile has resulted. Note, however, that
homeless people in families were included in the survey at a higher
level (29% of survey group) than their prevalence in the enumeration
(14% of total count), and single persons at a lower level).
“I would like for society to stop stereotyping
folks like myself,
thinking just because we are homeless…we are nasty beggars
looking for a handout. We don’t have every disease there
is. We
are just lost.” — survey respondent
Analysis of the 2003 survey results suggest that a typical homeless
person in the City of Atlanta, Fulton County, and DeKalb County
areas is one who:
- Is a 36 to 45-year-old, single African American male.
- Has been homeless for less than one year.
- Occupies shelters or temporary housing as a usual nighttime
accommodation.
- Lived in the City of Atlanta before becoming homeless.
- Cites alcohol or drug use and unemployment as the primary
causes of homelessness.
- Had not worked for pay in the 30 days prior to the survey.
- Received no money from public assistance, disability, child
support, panhandling, or
blood donations.
- Most commonly received medical attention at a free clinic
in a hospital or a hospital
emergency room.
- Responded that food, water, and transportation were the most
common necessities that
he had trouble getting on a daily bases.
- Most frequently mentioned employment opportunities and employment
training as
being most helpful in getting out of homelessness.
Demographically, the overwhelming majority of homeless survey
respondents (87%) were African American, while 9% were Caucasian,
2% were Pacific Islander, and 1% was Hispanic or Latino, and an
additional 2% identified themselves with some other racial or ethnic
group. U. S. Census 2000 population figures indicate that African
Americans comprise 61% of the general population of the City of
Atlanta, 45% in Fulton County, and 54% in DeKalb County. Therefore,
at 87%, African Americans are significantly over-represented as
an ethnic group in the 2003 homeless survey results. Males were
also over-represented in the survey population as compared to the
general population, while females and Caucasians were under-represented.
Survey results indicate that the homeless persons surveyed in
the Tri-Jurisdictional area (City of Atlanta and Dekalb and Fulton
Counties) are predominantly single, and that 64% of men have never
married (compared to 41% in Fulton and DeKalb Counties), and 62%
of women have never been married (compared to 34% in Fulton and
DeKalb Counties).6 Roughly 29% of homeless survey respondents had
children living with them, and more than two-thirds of these children
were under five years of age.
Of those survey respondents who were not living in the Tri-Jurisdictional
area at the time they became homeless, most responded that they
came to the area for job opportunities, and they did not want to
return to their previous area of residence. The most common reason
for wanting to stay in the Tri-Jurisdictional area was “work” or “job
opportunities.” Those who wanted to return to their previous
area of residence gave “employment” as the most frequent
assistance they required to return.
Characteristics Of A Homeless Mentally Ill Person
In the words of a person with a mental illness:
“When
you see the face of a homeless person out in the cold be aware
he or she may have a low tolerance for closeness and lack of
trust in relationships. We have a strong tendency to wander and
take geographical cures in efforts at trying to run from our
problems and perceived failures. We have pervasive fears causing
our social withdrawal or extreme shyness. Some of our fears are
real because of our being victimized on mean urban streets. We
are most often victims and not the perpetrators of violent crime.
We have strong tendencies to isolate ourselves from family and
friends because of the shame we carry from perceived failures.
We have strong tendencies to become disaffiliated from social
structures due to poor coping skills with stresses and pressures
of life and pressures to conform to the ‘norm’. .
. . Many of the homeless people of the street are very practiced
at avoidance of helpers and helping agencies out of fear of being
labeled a ‘sicko
psycho’, a ‘crack head’, or a ‘gutter
bum’ drunk
and/or dope addict. The most vulnerable group of homeless people,
the mothers with small children, usually carry pervasive fears
of the “authorities” who can take away their kids
and lock them away. These traits make homeless people with a
mental illness very difficult to engage in any kind of positive
way.” Dave
Allen