Millions of Americans are teetering on the brink of poverty, according to a new report from Prosperity Now that says 40 percent of all U.S. households – and 57 percent of households of color – could be knocked over the edge by one unexpected medical expense, lost paycheck or job loss.

That financial instability is mirrored in housing insecurity, and, while homelessness in Atlanta is on the decline, Fulton County remains by far the highest among the national benchmark counties, according to the Department for Housing and Urban Development. 

"On Second Thought" host Virginia Prescott speaks with Elizabeth Beck and Cathryn Marchman.

As a professor of social work at Georgia State University, Elizabeth Beck researches the roots of homelessness. Beck is co-author of "The Homelessness Industry: A Critique of U.S. Social Policy." She joined "On Second Thought" for a discussion about the past, present and future of homelessness in Atlanta and America. Cathryn Marchman, executive director of Partners for HOME, which coordinates the City of Atlanta's continuum of care for individuals experiencing homelessness, joined the conversation as well.

 

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Tags: partners for home  housing insecurity  the homelessness industry  Income Inequality  Fulton County  wage gap  poverty  Homelessness  HUD  affordable housing