Homelessness and Hunger
HOMELESSNESS: On January 27, 2011 Vermont and New Hampshire’s Point-in-Time homeless counts totaled 4,585 persons; 645 of these in the counties that form the Upper Valley region, which is the Haven’s service area. Part of what perpetuates this problem is a shortage of affordable housing. A modest 2-bedroom rental unit costs $990 per month. This requires an annual income of $39,595. Minimum wage is $7.25 in NH and $8.15 in VT, so even for two adults earning minimum wage, rent is unaffordable. We know the VT Section 8 waiting list of over 3,800 applicants is closed and won’t open for at least two years.
HUNGER: According to the USDA’s 2009 annual report on hunger, Vermont and Alabama tied as having the highest increase in household food insecurity in the country over the last 10 years. Also, according to the Food Research and Action Center more than 1 in 5 Vermont households with children (20.3%) reported not having enough money to buy the food they needed in 2009-2010.