why we're here

In King County approximately 8,400 people are homeless on any given night. When the statistics are examined in terms of just women, on any given night in Seattle there are roughly 750 women on the street without shelter1. Preliminary results from the 2008 King County homeless One Night Count show a 15% increase in the homeless population outside shelters when comparing similar areas that were counted in 20072.

 

 

In most urban areas today a housing “continuum” exists for homeless individuals and families. There can be up to a two-year waiting list for permanent housing.

 

 

Jubilee is an integral part of these community services, focusing its support on filling the gap between the two ends of the continuum.

 

Reasons for Homelessness
  • Poverty is the primary condition leading to homelessness in the US today, defined as less than 30% of the Area Median Income. This rate for a single adult in Seattle/King County is approximately $16,3503
  • Lack of affordable housing is another major reason for homelessness. In King County, a one-bedroom unit at the region’s Fair Market Rent is $783 per month4. A worker would have to earn $13.55 per hour in order to afford such a unit, well above the current minimum wage of $8.07 per hour.
  • Domestic violence – Women are at an increased risk of homelessness due to gender-specific vulnerabilities. Ninety percent of domestic violence victims are women, some of whom find that the streets are their only option for safety5.
  • Lack of social and economic resources - the steady decline in public funding and services for individuals and families at risk of becoming homeless is one of the reasons for homelessness today. 
  • Disabilities also remain a leading cause for homelessness. The One Night Count for 2007 showed 57% of people using shelter services reported having at least one disability.
  1. 2007 Annual “One Night Count” Prepared by Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness.
  2. Seattle/ King County Coalition on Homelessness, 2008.
  3. Seattle Housing Authority, 2007.
  4. U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development, Final Fair Market Rents for Fiscal Year 2008.
  5. American Institute on Domestic Violence, 2001.