Quiz: How Well Do You Understand the Homelessness Crisis?

An online questionnaire illuminates the root causes of homelessness, debunking some common myths about unhoused people in America.

1 minute read

March 2, 2023, 5:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


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A new interactive quiz from the Urban Institute’s Housing Matters Initiative tests your knowledge about the homelessness crisis in America, offering valuable insights along the way.

The quiz traces the history of the modern crisis to its roots in the 1980s, “when the number of renters with low incomes started to greatly outpace the number of available affordable housing units.” 

In another question, it emphasizes the strong link between housing costs and homelessness rates. “Research shows the correlation with homelessness isn’t as strong for other factors such as poverty or unemployment rates, mental or behavioral health disorder or substance use rates, or even weather.” And while many people point to federal housing assistance as a way to access affordable housing, only 20 percent of qualifying people receive it.

With each answer, the quiz includes links to more in-depth resources that can help readers understand the causes and potential solutions for helping the rising number of unhoused Americans and improving housing affordability. Take the quiz for yourself at the source link below.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023 in Housing Matters

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