One third of Americans worried about homelessness

This MSNBC story really speaks for itself, when you consider just how bad this housing bust and subprime mortgage mess is wreaking the U.S. economy. From MSNBC News:

WASHINGTON - Nearly a third of Americans have at one point worried about becoming homeless and many more are taking in friends and relatives needing a home, a survey found.

The homelessness issue has touched more than those who are living on the streets, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.

"People are worried even though it might not ever happen to them," said Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the Washington-based National Coalition for the Homeless. "When people read the news and read about bankruptcies, home foreclosures and auto plants being closed, they worry that they may be next."

Overwhelmingly, those polled — 92 percent — said more effort is needed across the nation to address the issue of homelessness. Thirty-five percent said the federal government should take a lead role fighting homelessness, while 25 percent identified state governments as most responsible for addressing the issue.

"It is clear from this poll that Americans are very concerned about homelessness and do not feel enough is being done to address this critical issue," said Stacey Stewart, senior vice president of the Office of Community and Charitable Giving at Fannie Mae.

Twenty-eight percent said they were concerned at one time about becoming homeless. A greater percentage, 44 percent, said they had opened their own homes to a friend or relative who faced being forced onto the streets.

The poll was conducted on behalf of mortgage giant Fannie Mae, which has grant programs that provide funding for low-income housing.

Now the MSNBC story reports that 58 percent of respondents think that the number of homeless are increasing, over that of ten years ago. However, statistics from the Department of Housing and Urban Development show a decline in the number of chronically homeless by 12 percent from 2005 to 2006, or from 175,900 to 155,600. Chronically homeless are described as continuously living on the streets for a hear, while homeless is described as living on the streets for at least four times in the past three years. HUD estimated that there were at least 754,000 homeless people in 2005. So what we're seeing here is that Americans are more fearful of becoming homeless, as they continue to be exposed to the media reports of the housing bust, the subprime mortgage mess, bankruptcies, and home foreclosures. What is more, the 44 percent of Americans who took in family and friends to their homes, who were forced on the streets, reinforces this notion that the number of homeless are rising, and increases Americans demands that the government take action in fighting homelessness. I believe that home foreclosures will continue to increase in 2008--right into the election year. Homelessness will become another big election year issue, and perhaps even a serious criticism against the Bush administration and the Republican Party if nothing is done to politically resolve the issue.