Executive Summary:

It has been argued that poverty, social-class disparities, and poor social conditions are the world’s most pervasive public health problem and thus responsible for an enormous toll in health-related su ering. Poverty leads to disparities in morbidity, mortality, and disability, in terms of both physical and mental health. And poverty is directly linked to homelessness.

The report was undertaken to provide an initial, credible estimate of the impact, socially and economically, of faith-based organizations (FBOs) in eleven cities across the country in responding to homelessness. The primary findings for the report focus on measuring the impact on homelessness by means of the percentage of emergency shelter beds provided through FBO homeless ministries, measured through Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Inventory Count (HIC).

This study focused on the following eleven U.S. cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Omaha, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, and Seattle.