Homelessness or risk of homelessness

Though shopping carts filled with personal belongings appeared randomly throughout the neighborhood, few identifiable homeless individuals could be identified with the exception of a few who were found sleeping outside a store front in the early morning hours and some near the Veteran’s Memorial. Two of the gentlemen we met outside of the Veteran’s Memorial, at the memorial explained that they, too, knew of very few other homeless people in the area.

Research, however, indicates that the employment rate in Highland Park is approximately 55%, and that a resident’s average income is 18,500 per year. Therefore, the risk of becoming homeless may be higher. A realtor in the area explained that foreclosures were on the rise and evictions were increasing. Because of the inflation in housing costs, individuals and families were less able to afford their rent. And, because few people know of their rights and do not utilize the services available to them, such as free legal counsel and obtainment of relocation fees, homelessness may very well be on the rise in the near future.