Who Does Matthew’s Hope Serve?

Loss of income, low wages or unemployment:Any disruption for low-income families – unexpected illness and 
medical expenses, unemployment, divorce, loss of transportation, etc. – can create a financial crisis that results 
in loss of housing for these families.

Lack of affordable housing: A primary contributor to homelessness is a lack of rental housing that very 
low-income people can afford.

In Orlando, service industry employment accounts for about 40% of jobs, with wages in the neighborhood of $9 per hour with limited benefits. Yet the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Orlando requires an hourly wage of over $18.00 – making the ability for a couple to afford it almost impossible, even with both working 40 hours per week at $9 per hour.

Domestic violence: Victims of domestic violence flee their homes, sometimes with only the clothes on their backs.

Drug/alcohol addiction or mental illness: Addictions and mental illness have a larger impact on the chronic homeless male population than on women and families.