For a long time there was great debate over how to accurately describe homelessness and its pervasiveness into American culture. There are two well recognized ways to describe homeless numbers:

• Point in time: measuring the number of homeless people at any one given time. A “snapshot” of homeless numbers. “Critics say this method is likely to overestimate the number of chronically homeless and underestimate the number of people who experience temporary homelessness.”

• Period prevalence: recording homeless numbers over a set period of time. “Critics of this method point to the difficulty of standardizing measurements. Other affecting factors in measuring homeless rates include the duration of counting and time of year of counting.”

HUD has adopted a modified point-in-time method that measures homeless numbers in shelters and homeless numbers on the streets. After a thorough examination of numbers in 2005, HUD came up with a baseline of over 744,000 homeless people at any given time. This baseline number helps establish a measurement for future homelessness. Today, in 2009, we can look at the numbers and determine whether or not we have more homeless people or less than 2005.

For more information see HUD and PBS

This year it’s become harder than ever for charities and non-profit agencies to assist low income families just a paycheck away from extreme poverty. While the government is busy stuffing the pockets of corporate CEOs who masterminded the mortgage collapse in America, thousands of homes are being lost and many more young families becoming homeless. A major challenge of poverty prevention is education and job training. Everyone knows that proper job training and education costs have risen exponentially in the past two decades. In the mean time, our wages and earnings in America have remained stagnant at best.

Today the HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency Program received $49 million more dollars in grants that provide help to qualifying families. The funds will go to agencies to provide job training, childcare, counseling, transportation and job placement for low income recipients. In return, the head of the household must receive a job and no longer receive welfare benefits by the end of the fifth year in the program.

Furthermore, this program encourages home ownership and self-sufficiency. As the families’ income rises, a percentage of the raise is kept in an interest bearing Escrow account. At the end of the fifth year, if they no longer receive welfare benefits, they can receive the Escrow amount in one lump sum. They also receive home ownership counseling and assistance to help buy a home and maintain self-sufficiency.

This program gives low income families job training and opportunities they would not have access to on their own. It also gives them a goal in the near future they can work towards. As more low income families become self-sufficient, neighborhoods and communities can rebuild from this tough economic year.

For more information, you can visit HUD to view the final press release.