Survey: Increased hunger and homeless in U.S cities
Hunger and homelessness is increasing in American cities, and is likely to get worse this year if threatened federal budget cuts kick in, according to a report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM). The survey of 25 cities found that so-called “sequestration” cuts to local social programs could stress already stretched efforts to aid hungry and homeless people, according to Reuters.
Congress delayed the cuts, originally scheduled to automatically go into effect on Jan. 1, until March 1. Funding could be cut for several food and housing assistance programs.
But hunger and homelessness is already at crisis levels in many cities, according to the USCM report. Requests for emergency food assistance rose in 21 of the 25 cities it surveyed in 2012. The number of homeless people, meanwhile, rose in more than half the cities surveyed.
Read the entire story in American City & County, our sister publication.
