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Reasons respondents are homeless: SUMMARY of data <br />All homeless persons surveyed were asked the following two questions: <br />- Why are you currently homeless? <br />- What would have preuented you from becoming homeless? <br />Responses (including those from the Berkeley survey respondents) to <br />reasons for homelessness were divided into categories, seen in bold face <br />below. The text following each category are summaries of the <br />corresponding answers to what would have prevented the homelessness. <br />Unable to pay rent: Most answered that to have prevented 97 <br />their homelessness, they would have needed more money, <br />steady, better paying jobs, and/or access to more affordable <br />housing, including help with 1st and last month's rent. <br />Temporary living situation ended: Of those who became 72 <br />homeless because a temporary living situation ended, most <br />cited difi'erent specific preventions pertaining to: the lack of <br />a roommate or a compatible one; no access to Section 8 <br />housing; bad credit; having been discharged from an <br />institution; and the cessation of a live-in job. - <br />Job lost: Nearly a third of all responses to why people had 56 <br />become homeless involved the loss of a job. Most ideas in this - <br />category were straightforward: having had a job would have <br />prevented homelessness. <br />Family Break-up: More familial support and understanding 43 <br />would have prevented their homelessness. <br />Escaping domestic violence: Most said having been single or 33 - <br />not having been with the man they had been with would have <br />prevented homelessness. One said a shelter for battered _„ <br />women would have helped. <br />Alcohol or other drugs: Of those who responded in this 30 _ <br />category, a third said having had a job would have prevented <br />homelessness; another third said "not doing drugs" would <br />have been the best prevention, and two said they should not ~ _ <br />have abused alcohol. <br />Evicted. due to non-payment of rent: Answers to the 21 <br />prevention question in this category ranged from not having <br />abused drugs to having had access to lower-cost housing and <br />higher wages. <br />Mental illness: 21 <br />