Every day, families all across the country struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Half of all renters in the United States cannot afford their housing while millions are at risk of losing their homes. But what if there was a way to prevent this?
As the housing affordability crisis deepens, more families are teetering on the edge of homelessness. Acting early is critical; without this, the historically high levels of homelessness we see today will continue to rise.
Right at Home, an initiative of Destination: Home, seeks to substantially reduce the number of individuals and families losing their homes, while redefining how America confronts homelessness. Together we can stop homelessness before it starts.
The Challenge
Our homelessness response systems cannot keep up because people are being pushed into homelessness faster than we can respond. Half of all U.S. renter households are rent-burdened, spending over 30% of their income on rent. Nearly half of these households spend over 50% and are just one missed paycheck from homelessness.
The cost of responding once someone has lost their housing is often extensive and weighs heavily on our public systems including shelters and emergency services. Stabilizing housing before it is lost reduces human suffering and cuts public costs. In Santa Clara County, every $1 spent on prevention saved $2.47 in benefits to the community, according to the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at Notre Dame.
There is no national strategy nor federal funding dedicated to preventing homelessness, only to respond after housing is lost. Only one in four households in need of federal rental assistance receive it, meaning 75% of Americans who need support staying housed are not receiving it.
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