The Hidden Homeless: The Impact of Varese’s Evictions on Its Residents
The Impact of Varese’s Evictions on Its Residents
Homelessness consists of two types, chronic and episodic. The former is characterized by periods of time spent without a permanent home and usually affects people who are older, chronically ill or have family rejection related to sexual orientation or gender identity. The latter, by contrast, is a temporary situation that lasts only a few weeks or months and is often experienced by young people.
Evictions are a significant contributing factor to homelessness, affecting families and single adults in the city who can no longer afford their rent or who are at risk of losing their housing. But evictions also can be destabilizing, sending homeless households into cycles of financial and emotional turmoil that can affect their prospects for residential stability in the future.
The eviction crisis has grown over the past decade because of a combination of factors, including an increased focus on the rights of renters and a decrease in the supply of affordable housing. In particular, the supply of market-rate rental apartments has shrunk to such a degree that those with low incomes who are seeking housing are unable to find it.
The Hidden Homeless: The Impact of Varese’s Evictions on Its Residents
In the face of such a shortage, many renters are forced to live in substandard conditions, or even worse. Those with children are especially vulnerable because they often have no other option than to sleep on the streets, which can be dangerous for kids and can make it difficult to access vital services like medical care.
Some evictions are caused by the occupants’ own actions or inability to pay their rent, such as when they have a drug addiction, are underage, or have a criminal record. Other evictions are the result of circumstances beyond their control, such as a sudden financial shock, an illness or injury in the household, or a change in the law that makes it harder for them to keep a place to live.
The most common evictions, according to an analysis of city data by Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, involve families with young children or adults who have recently suffered an economic loss or job loss. In 2016, Desmond’s team analyzed court eviction filings and judgments to identify the most commonly affected populations.
There are a number of programs that provide assistance to people who have been evicted from their homes. These programs are important to prevent relapses into homelessness, and can offer the resources that people need to stay in their own housing.
But a big problem is that those who lose their housing are not always eligible for the assistance they need. They might not meet HUD’s definition of “homeless,” or they may be living with other people who don’t qualify for assistance.
For this reason, a large portion of the city’s homeless population – and for some activists, the city’s entire homeless population – has been labeled “hidden homeless.” That’s because they cannot be identified and do not qualify for housing support services. They often live with others for temporary reasons, such as when they need to take care of a sick child or an elderly parent, and so do not show up on the standard statistics on homelessness.