An online questionnaire illuminates the root causes of homelessness, debunking some common myths about unhoused people in America.
A new interactive quiz from the Urban Institute’s Housing Matters Initiative tests your knowledge about the homelessness crisis in America, offering valuable insights along the way.
The quiz traces the history of the modern crisis to its roots in the 1980s, “when the number of renters with low incomes started to greatly outpace the number of available affordable housing units.”
In another question, it emphasizes the strong link between housing costs and homelessness rates. “Research shows the correlation with homelessness isn’t as strong for other factors such as poverty or unemployment rates, mental or behavioral health disorder or substance use rates, or even weather.” And while many people point to federal housing assistance as a way to access affordable housing, only 20 percent of qualifying people receive it.
With each answer, the quiz includes links to more in-depth resources that can help readers understand the causes and potential solutions for helping the rising number of unhoused Americans and improving housing affordability. Take the quiz for yourself at the source link below.
FULL STORY: How Much Do You Know about Homelessness in America?
How To End Homelessness: The Houston Model
While the numbers of unhoused people in other major U.S. cities grow, Houston has managed to effectively end veteran homelessness and house more than 26,000 people since implementing a ‘Housing First’ approach a decade ago.
Federal Funding To Boost Supportive Housing Efforts
The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a $365 million package aimed at efforts to reduce homelessness and provide outreach and care for people lacking adequate housing.
How Houston Is Eliminating Chronic Homelessness
Taking a comprehensive ‘Housing First’ approach, the city of Houston has cut homelessness by 63 percent in the last decade.
‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland
Portland is redesigning its bus system to respond to the changing patterns of the post-pandemic world—with twin goals of increasing ridership and improving equity.
Plan to Potentially Remove Downtown Milwaukee’s Interstate Faces Public Scrutiny
The public is weighing in on a suite of options for repairing, replacing, or removing Interstate 794 in downtown Milwaukee.
Can New York City Go Green Without Renewable Rikers?
New York City’s bold proposal to close the jail on Rikers Island and replace it with green infrastructure is in jeopardy. Will this compromise the city’s ambitious climate goals?
700-Acre Master-Planned Community Planned in Utah
A massive development plan is taking shape for lakefront property in Vineyard, Utah—on the site of a former U.S. Steel Geneva Works facility.
More Cities Ponder the End of Drive-Thrus
Drive-thru fast food restaurants might be a staple of American life, but several U.S. cities are actively considering prohibiting the development of new drive-thrus for the benefit of traffic safety, air quality, and congestion.
Air Pollution World’s Worst Public Health Threat, Report Says
Air pollution is more likely to take years life off the lifespan of the average human than any other external factor, according to a recent report out of the University of Chicago.
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
