9%
Context, Compassion, and the Complexity of Homelessness
Numbers don’t speak for themselves—context gives them voice. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection explores how the figure “9%” reveals the shifting landscape of homelessness, and why empathy and action must follow understanding.
That is a small percentage. Yet the average return on investments in the stock market is about 10.5%, considered particularly good. If your money grew steadily at that rate year after year, you should be content with your broker. However, if your mortgage loan carries a 9% interest rate, you should immediately shop for a lower rate and fire your mortgage broker. On the other hand, if you receive a 9% raise on your salary, you should be over the moon, as the average raise currently hovers at 3 to 5%.
The point is that the number by itself means nothing. You must have context. Recently, reports from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development showed that the homeless population has increased by 9%. The actual percentage of people experiencing homelessness in the United States is 0.2%. At first glance, 0.2% may seem like a very small number. But in a country of more than 330 million people, it represents hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children without shelter. That is why accuracy matters. Numbers alone do not tell the story until we give them context. With the recent influx of immigrants, there is an expectation that this figure could rise further.
Our homeless population is made up of many different groups. Some are emotionally unstable, and since the closing of many mental institutions, the streets have become their home. Some are displaced residents because inner cities are being revitalized with condominiums and shops, causing lower-priced housing to disappear. We no longer have boarding houses or small, inexpensive apartments for those on the economic margin. Some are unemployed for a period and rely on shelters and support agencies to help them return to the workforce.
The makeup of our homeless population is diverse. In the late 1800s, the “homeless” person often traveled around the country doing itinerant work. This “open road” lifestyle was more a preference than a necessity. The itinerant worker was not wealthy but was comfortable moving from place to place, being self-supportive, and exploring the country. This person or group of people was productive citizens. In the 1880s, the collective name for these mainly men was “hobo,” which has since been romanticized as an adventurous approach to life. We no longer romanticize the homeless traveler. World War II put everyone to work, and when the mass return of soldiers flooded breadlines and soup kitchens, homelessness grew again.
So, what does 0.2% mean today? When President Obama’s administration launched an initiative to end homelessness in 2010, they anticipated a process that would take approximately 10 years to complete. At that time, the percentage of the homeless population was already 0.2%. Today, that same figure remains, but with a troubling 9% increase in the total number of people affected.
Want to explore how housing costs and policy shape homelessness? Visit Pew’s analysis of housing costs and homelessness, National Alliance to End Homelessness’ guide to rising rents and risk, and Homeless Garden Project’s breakdown of structural causes.
If you’re reflecting on social justice, emotional resilience, or systemic change, therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support insight, compassion, and advocacy.
By Dr. Gloria K Vanderhorst
