It is estimated that there are 3,419 men, women, and children who are homeless in Baltimore on any given night. Four factors are primarily responsible for homelessness: lack of affordable housing, lack of affordable health care, low incomes, and the lack of comprehensive services. Chronic illnesses, including substance abuse disorders and persistent mental illness, and other physical disabilities create additional challenges in resolving homelessness.
The Journey Home: Baltimore City’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness was released by Mayor Dixon on January 17th, 2008. It focuses on four major goal areas that address the root causes of homelessness: affordable housing, comprehensive health care, sufficient incomes, and preventive and emergency services. With this plan, Baltimore has begun to implement specific actions to provide and maintain sufficient housing in order to re-house persons experiencing homelessness and to help them remain stably housed. The over 150 people have been housed with supportive services represents just one of the numerous first-year outcomes of the plan.