One Million More Impoverished Americans in 2004 Means More Numbers of Homeless

The U.S. Census Bureau announced on Tuesday that the number of Americans living in poverty rose by 1.1 million in 2004. Click here. This was the fourth consecutive year poverty has increased in our country. Clearly, when poverty increases, so does homelessness. Homelessness is a result of those living in poverty who end up on the streets because no social “safety net.”

This new number means that 12.7 percent of Americans live in poverty. That means one out of eight Americans are poor.

Another disturbing number is that 45.8 million Americans do not have health insurance; an increase of 800,000 more people are without health insurance.

Another sad statistic: one in four African Americans are poor, and one in five Hispanics.