December is one of the coldest months of the year. This month can be especially harmful for people experiencing homelessness.
In the last 15 years in Nebraska, homelessness has dropped significantly.
Despite the optimistic trends, there are looming concerns about how the growing cost of housing in the state could curtail recent progress.
Jeff Chambers is the Director of the Community Services Division at the Center on Children, Families and the Law at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He said expanded state and federal investment into housing assistance programs led to the positive report for Nebraska.
“There's been significant levels of increased funding for programs for persons experiencing homelessness, including what are called Rapid Rehousing programs,” Chambers said.
However, Chambers said the state’s ability to quickly reduce homelessness plateaued in the last few years.
Archive photo courtesy of Steve Andel.