January 24, 2007

A statewide count of people housed in shelters, along with an observational count on the streets and in camps, determined that 7,400 to 8,000 Arkansans are homeless on any given night. A 2005 survey of 100 people who congregate under bridges and at soup kitchens documented that forty percent are engaged in some type of employment—likely minimum wage, part time, or temporary—and that most earn just over $600 a month. Among factors such as alcohol and drug dependency, psychological problems, poor work ethic, lack of education, or proper vocational training, the most notable hindrance seemed to be lack of affordable housing.