| Cities face more hungry homeless { December 14 2004 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/121504dnnathomeless.a4448.htmlhttp://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/121504dnnathomeless.a4448.html
Cities face more hungry, homeless But rate of increase for food, shelter inquiries is lowest in years
08:14 PM CST on Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Requests for emergency food and shelter increased in many large U.S. cities this year, but not by as much as in previous years, according to a survey released Tuesday.
Requests for food rose by 14 percent, while appeals for shelter increased by 6 percent, said the annual report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, based on surveys of 27 large cities.
The numbers have risen every year since the conference began the survey 20 years ago. However, the rate of increase for food requests was the lowest since 1998. The rate of increase for shelter requests was less than half what it was in 2003.
Louisville, Ky., and its metropolitan area experienced the greatest spike in demand for emergency food, with requests rising 32 percent.
The survey did not include Dallas, which also faces a growing homeless population. The number of homeless people in Dallas County rose 9 percent, to 5,636, over the previous year, according to a census taken in January.
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller set up a task force this fall to study the issue and locate a site for a voter-approved proposed center to help the homeless.
Staff writer Kim Horner contributed to this report.
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