To: bonnuss_in_austin who wrote (231204 ) 2/26/2002 4:37:15 PM From: Neocon Respond to The Link Between Lack of Access to Treatment and Homelessness not including persons who have a primary diagnosis of substance abuse. These studies also suggest that this subpopulation of homeless adults is growing, both in terms of numbers and percentage. A recent report prepared for HUD by the Urban Institute entitled "Homelessness: Programs and the People they Serve," indicates that 39 percent of homeless people interviewed reported having a "mental health problem" during the past month, 45 percent during the past year, and 57 percent at some point in their lifetime. This report also found that 11percent of single homeless adults reported that they received federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits - a 300 percent increase from the last study completed in 1987. Assuming that one-third of our nation's homeless have a severe mental illness, using the Urban Institute's figures of 845,000 "on any given night," this means that as many as 338,000 people with severe mental illnesses are using public streets, sidewalks, parks, bus stations, public libraries as places to live. nami.org
