Despite 18 million empty homes in the US, legal complexities surrounding vacant homes mean that the 3.5 million homeless people in the country struggle to find shelter.
According to estimates by the Urban Institute, there are approximately 3.5 million homeless people in the United States. After the financial crisis that began in 2008, in which millions of people lost their homes, there were over 18 million American homes empty. While there are in theory more than enough homes in the United States to provide shelter for all of the nation’s homeless, there are many legal complexities surrounding vacant homes. Foreclosed homes are owned by banks, and because of the property taxes and repairs needed to secure the homes, financial institutions generally choose to tear them down and sell or donate the vacant lots.
Read more about homelessness:
According to 2009 data, an estimated 5% to 20% of Americans who end up homeless have lost their homes to foreclosures.
An estimated 90% of homeless women are believed to be previous victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.
Every night, about a quarter of the homeless population are children under the age of 18.
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