Homelessness costs taxpayers big money. Job opportunities help save public funds.

by | August 22, 2019

The homelessness crisis in the Seattle area is a massive social dilemma, and it is also a significant financial situation for the taxpayers of the city. Millions of public dollars are pumped into diffusing the situation each year, and those costs add up quickly for the average taxpayer.

According to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), each unstably housed man, woman, and child accrues over $40,000 per year in public resource expenses. These expenses include shelters, food, medical expenses, incarceration, social work, and more. With over 11,000 homeless individuals counted in Seattle’s most recent count, that equates to over $400M in taxpayer dollars.

While the quick and obvious answer of “provide free or low-cost homes” will technically get people out of homelessness, these services are still quite costly for the general public and they don’t necessarily change the status quo. What Millionair Club Charity is doing to remedy the situation is connect men and women with stable employment so that they can become self-sufficient.

Over the past few years, Millionair Club Charity has been placing more and more men and women into full-time employment, and 2018 recorded a total of 210 placements. Assuming this group of 210 remained stable and self-sufficient, that would relieve over $8M in taxpayer dollars in just one year. In addition to the 210 permanent placements, another 800 men and women worked through our supportive employment program to help stabilize their own particular situations. Whether that meant taking on a second job or working just a couple times per month in order to make rent, these men and women are putting in the hours to avoid eviction, maintain their dignity, and care for their families.

There is obviously a lot more work to be done, but we believe Millionair Club Charity’s “jobs first” solution has the potential to change thousands of lives while saving tens of millions of public dollars.

Media Contact

Uplift Northwest

2515 Western Ave

Seattle, WA 98121

206.728.JOBS (5627)

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Our Mission: We guide people on their path to self-sufficiency by providing employment and job readiness services.