SAN ANTONIO - This time of year most kids are wondering what they are going to get for Christmas. But more than 1,600 children across the city are wondering where they are going to sleep tonight. With the help of Trinity University SAMM ministries is getting a better idea of the homeless situation here and how they can help change the trend.
Age of Homeless Individuals:
- 37 is the average age of a homeless person (average of adults and children)
- 48 is the average age of a homeless adult (when only using adult statistics)
- 8 is the average age of a homeless child
Family Make Up:
- 55% of homeless families are headed by single-parent, women
- 524 children were homeless
- 2.41 children per household with 1-3 children being the average
Children in Homelessness:
- Over 25% of homeless children are between 0-3 years of age
- 14.5% homeless children ages 14-18 have been in foster care
Reasons Cited For Homelessness:
- $500 is the average income for a homeless family
- 43.4% of homeless families and 37.5% of chronically homeless families named loss of income or job as their reason for becoming homeless
- 37% of families surveyed have been homeless for more than a year or four or more times in three years
In 2012 SAMMinistries’ Programs Served:
- 4,174 individuals, including 1,696 children
- 878 households with children
In 2012 SAMMinistries’ Provided:
- Transitional & Permanent Housing to 143 familes
- Job Training & Employment Development Services to 117 individuals
- Over $89,000 in Educational Scholarships and Assistance to 107 individuals
SAMMinistries Prevention Services:
- Since 2008, over $2.6 million in financial assistance has been paid directly to landlords and utilities to help keep nearly 10,000 men, women and children in their homes.
- In 2012: Served 583 households with1,022 children
- In 2012: Provided nearly $400,000 in financial assistance in addition to counseling and referral services.
If you would like to donate or volunteer, get more information at
samm.org
