Homelessness in Fargo-Moorhead
February 20, 2009
Although homeless persons are not as visible in the FM area as in other, more metropolitan, regions, homelessness DOES occur in our area, and it occurs much more frequently than one would think. In 2006, the Wilder Study found that there were 587 homeless persons in the Fargo-Moorhead area. When the number of people who were “precariously housed” (living with friends, etc.) was included, that number rose to1066 people. Another study will be conducted this fall, and it is predicted that the number of homeless people in the region will have increased, perhaps significantly. The economic climate of today, the foreclosure rates, and the number of bankruptcies (many health-related) have exacerbated the issue.
Homelessness affects people of all nationalities, ages, and backgrounds. It’s easy to picture what one might imagine to be the “typical” homeless individual, but in truth, there is no “typical” person in the homeless community. Homeless persons are black and white, children and adults, male and female. Some have struggled with poverty their whole lives, and some have only recently experienced homelessness due to a loss of job, illness, or home foreclosure. Many people in the region are “living on the edge”, only a paycheck or singular event away from losing their home. In many (if not all) instances, homelessness can be avoided or prevented. Providing more living-wage jobs, affordable housing, and transportation are all vital steps in ending homelessness.
If one considers the hazardous winter we have had this year, it is almost unimaginable that people are living outside in such conditions; however, they are. Individuals, no matter what their background or circumstance, should not need to be living outside in this weather, or at any time. The term “frozen to death” should never need to be uttered in our region.
The FM community is comprised of multitudes of generous, understanding, caring, and capable individuals. If we all give just a bit of our time, our resources, and our energy, the issue of homelessness can and will be addressed. Everyone needs a place to call “home”, especially children, and we can make this a reality in Fargo-Moorhead.
