State of homeless in Montgomery

Housing, a division of the Lighthouse Counseling Center’s Chemical Dependency Recovery Program, was started in the summer of 2002 in response to the needs determined by the Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless (MACH).

In 2002 Montgomery County maintained the highest rate of infection with HIV/AIDS for the state.

Montgomery County also experienced a high rate of homeless parents with dependent children and women were disproportionately represented in the homeless population.

People with serious mental illnesses and co-occurring substance abuse disorders are at greater risk for homelessness.

An estimated 637,000 adults in the United States are homeless on any given night. Approximately 39 percent of people who are homeless also have a mental disorder.

Lighthouse Counseling Center has found that stable living facilities promote the development of skills necessary for independent living. Residents have an apartment which has at least one bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining area and living room.