Five Must-Know Facts About Homelessness in Bellevue
April 11, 2019 - by Paige Anderson
Category What's Happening
Despite the soaring skyscrapers and booming business in our community, financial stresses are a reality for many Bellevue families. In December, the BDA Breakfast Series broached the topic of homelessness in Bellevue by bringing together a group of five panelists representing leading community organizations.
Recently, BDA member Bellevue LifeSpring shared some additional statistics on homelessness, reminding us of how important the issue is.
- In 2007, 58 students in the Bellevue School District qualified to receive homeless services. This number of kids rose to 228 by 2014. Today, 300 students are experiencing homelessness in our Bellevue community.
- Bellevue children experience many forms of homelessness – living in a hotel or motel, staying in a shelter, doubled-up with another family or living outside in cars or tents.
- In 2018, 60% of families that received emergency rent assistance had income from employment. The cost of living for a family of four living in Seattle has risen by 86% since 2001 – and it’s even more expensive on the Eastside. Just to pay for basic needs, a family of four living in Bellevue needs to earn over $80,000.
- Since 2014, the number of children in doubled-up housing has risen from 104 to 175. These are the reported numbers. We know there are more. Families are sharing apartments, sometimes even cramming into single rooms, to afford staying in the communities and schools their children grew up in.
- As of December 2018, 26 out of 28 Bellevue schools have students experiencing homelessness.
Bellevue LifeSpring is a local non-profit with a mission to foster stability and self-sufficiency for Bellevue’s children and their families through programs that provide food, clothing, educations and emergency assistance. To learn more about how to support Bellevue LifeSpring and Bellevue families in need, visit the organization’s website.
