• ≈ 653,000 people experience homelessness on a given night in the U.S.
• 20% are children.
• 40%+ are employed or recently employed.
• Housing costs have risen faster than wages for 20+ years.

Disability / Handicap

• 1 in 4 U.S. adults lives with a disability.
• People with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty.
• Most disabilities are invisible (mental, neurological, chronic illness).

Mental Health

• 1 in 5 adults experiences mental illness each year.
• 1 in 6 youth has a mental health condition.
• 50% of mental illness begins by age 14.
• Untreated mental illness increases risk of homelessness, incarceration, and suicide.

Physical Health

• People without stable housing live 12–30 years fewer than the general population.
• Chronic stress increases risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
• Poverty is directly linked to higher mortality rates.
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Financial Struggle

• 60% of Americans cannot cover a $400 emergency.
• 78% live paycheck to paycheck at some point each year.
• Medical bills and rent are the top causes of financial crisis, not spending habits.

Financial Literacy

• Only 23 states require any financial literacy education in schools.
• Less than 30% of adults can pass a basic financial literacy test.
• Financial illiteracy costs Americans billions annually in fees, debt, and lost opportunity.

Discrimination

• Discrimination increases rates of anxiety, depression, and physical illness.
• Housing, job, and healthcare discrimination are linked to shorter life expectancy.
• Chronic exposure to bias raises stress hormones that damage long-term health.

Justice & Legal Access

• Low-income individuals are far less likely to have legal representation.
• People without legal support are more likely to face eviction, wage theft, and wrongful penalties.
• Knowing your rights significantly reduces negative legal outcomes.

The Bullied

• 1 in 5 students reports being bullied at school.
• Bullying increases risk of depression, anxiety, absenteeism, and suicide ideation.
• Most bullied students never report it.

The Bully

• Many who bully others have experienced trauma, neglect, or abuse.
• Bullies are more likely to struggle with mental health, substance use, and legal issues later in life.
• Bullying behavior is often learned, not born.

The Left Behind / Disenfranchised

• Entire communities experience systemic underinvestment in housing, education, and health.
• Children from low-income households are more likely to face discipline, less likely to receive support.
• Lack of access—not lack of effort—drives outcomes.

Why This Matters (One-Line Truth)

These issues overlap. When one goes untreated, the others multiply.

• .

Disability / Handicap

• 1 in 4 U.S. adults lives with a disability.
• People with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty.
• Most disabilities are invisible (mental, neurological, chronic illness).

Mental Health

• 1 in 5 adults experiences mental illness each year.
• 1 in 6 youth has a mental health condition.
• 50% of mental illness begins by age 14.
• Untreated mental illness increases risk of homelessness, incarceration, and suicide.

Physical Health

• People without stable housing live 12–30 years fewer than the general population.
• Chronic stress increases risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
• Poverty is directly linked to higher mortality rates.

Financial Struggle

• 60% of Americans cannot cover a $400 emergency.
• 78% live paycheck to paycheck at some point each year.
• Medical bills and rent are the top causes of financial crisis, not spending habits.

Financial Literacy

• Only 23 states require any financial literacy education in schools.
• Less than 30% of adults can pass a basic financial literacy test.
• Financial illiteracy costs Americans billions annually in fees, debt, and lost opportunity.

📞 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988

📱 Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741

📞 211 — Housing, food, health, legal help

📞 911 — Immediate danger only

music and content copyrighted by ray Walton 2025