Chart of the Day: Recession-Induced Homelessness About To Skyrocket

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There’s more dismal news on the economic front. Earlier this month, the US Census Bureau released the latest poverty data, revealing that the poverty rate is at a record high and the number of Americans living in deep poverty has been steadily increasing. (The Census Bureau defines deep poverty as living below half the annual federal poverty line, or about $11,000 for a family of four. About 7 percent of the country now falls into this category.)

Now comes the news that as larger numbers of people fall into deep poverty, they’re increasingly landing on the streets. The National Alliance to End Homelessness projects that the number of homeless Americans will increase by five percent over the next three years. That would mean an additional 74,000 people homeless people, pushing the national total towards 1.7 million. Homeless numbers tend to lag behind unemployment and poverty indicators, but the Alliance notes that all the warning signs for increased homelessness are there—most notably an 11 percent increase in the number of people who are “doubling up” and living with relatives or other people. That’s often just one step from landing in a shelter. Here’s the depressing chart of the day: 

Chart courtesy of the National Alliance to End Homelessness

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

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