4 ms·
AFAIK the black homeless population is barely larger than the white homeless population. Black people are disproportionately represented, but I don't think that
by chc 12y ago
AFAIK the black homeless population is barely larger than the white homeless population. Black people are disproportionately represented, but I don't think that homelessness is widely considered a "black problem." The homeless people that one is likely to meet are not significantly more likely to be black than white.
- bayesianhorse 12y agoThat might actually be caused among other things by a higher representation of African-Americans in the US military. Turns out, being a US soldier can have all sorts of health consequences...
- JabavuAdams 12y agoI doubt it. I'd say having cities and large neighbourhoods that are effectively no-go zones for well-adjusted families has more to do with it. These are literal and figurative breeding grounds for anti-social behaviour.
- curun1r 12y agoI'd bet there is a stronger correlation between homelessness and incarceration rates. Incarceration in this country is very racially biased and it can be very difficult for ex-cons to find decent jobs that keep them off the streets. A lot of them end up with the choice to either be homeless or reoffend.
- JabavuAdams 12y agoIt's always a shock to me to see how many visibly homeless black people there are in SF, when I visit. The homeless I see in my daily life in Toronto are almost all white-ish or First Nations. So, while I'm not arguing about the absolute number, it's the proportion that affects my perceptions. Frankly, it's demoralizing.