Cold Hard Facts

• On any given night, more than 100 people in Arlington are chronically homeless, having lived on the streets of our community for more than a year.
• Homeless persons are three times more likely to die than the general population.  According to research published in 2006, “the average life expectancy of homeless persons is about 50 years” which is significantly lower that the average life expectancy of roughly 80 years.
• Persons living on the street suffer from exposure, physical and mental illness, malnutrition and victimization and require a variety of public safety, medical and human service intervention.
• The cost to permanently house a chronically homeless individual in supportive housing is 42% to 97% less expensive over time than the cost to cover the health and safety expenses incurred by the public resulting from doing nothing at all.