Poverty in the United States: Homeless Workers, Evictions and Unaffordable Healthcare

Poverty in the United States is not limited to unemployment. In several parts of the country, it also affects people who work, have worked their entire lives or receive public assistance, but can no longer afford housing, food or healthcare. Rising rents, professional setbacks, medical expenses and evictions can trigger a sudden downward spiral.

The situations observed from California to Virginia, including Appalachia, reveal the same vulnerability: insufficient income or an unexpected event can be enough to cause someone to lose their home. According to the figures cited, 40 million Americans live below the poverty line, even as the country has a dynamic economy and unemployment stood below 4% during the period in question.

In California, Working No Longer Guarantees a Roof Over Your Head

In San Diego, Maria, 54, has been living in her vehicle for a year. A cleaner and home care worker, she works seven days a week. After separating from her partner, she left her belongings with her former spouse and was unable to find housing again. With a monthly salary described as equivalent to around €1,500, California rents have become unaffordable for her.

Every morning, she folds up the bedding set up in her vehicle before heading to work. Maintaining a neat appearance is essential to avoid losing her job. Maria therefore pays for a gym membership, around €40 per month, so that she can shower and maintain a daily routine.

In a free parking lot, around 30 people spend the night in their cars. Many of them have jobs: security guards, drivers, secretaries, IT workers or service employees. A nonprofit organization provides a water point, portable toilets and a small outdoor kitchen.

Eric, a 53-year-old former IT worker, shares this reality. He previously earned the equivalent of €7,000 a month. After burnout and heart problems, he depleted his savings on medical appointments. Unable to pay his rent, he ended up living in his car. He now takes on occasional assignments and is trying to save enough to rent a home again.

Housing insecurity in San Diego therefore illustrates a broader phenomenon: the line between employment, the middle class and homelessness can be extremely thin. In Los Angeles, another symbol of the California dream, the number of homeless people rose from 33,000 to 55,000, according to the figures cited.

Rental Evictions: A Rapid Fall in Virginia

In Richmond, Virginia, hardship also takes the form of frequent rental evictions. A quarter of the population lives below the poverty line. The city reportedly has around 3,000 evictions a year, a figure described as very high in relation to its population.

In this state, a landlord can begin proceedings after five days of late rent. Those concerned then have limited time to resolve their situation. An eviction can be completed in less than two months. For households with no alternative, low-cost motels sometimes become the only refuge.

David, a 38-year-old gardener and divorced father, has lived in a motel room for two years since being evicted. He pays around €1,300 a month for a room of roughly ten square meters, which serves as a bedroom, living room, kitchen and dining room all at once. When he has his children over on weekends, the cramped nature of this temporary accommodation becomes even more difficult.

A person’s rental history can make returning to conventional housing permanently more difficult. Public databases allow landlords to review previous legal proceedings or unpaid amounts. Even an old and modest debt may then be viewed as a risk. For people who have been evicted, the event therefore does not simply mean losing a roof over their heads: it can block access to future rentals.

In Appalachia, Food Insecurity Persists

In Appalachia, poverty is particularly visible in difficulties obtaining food. This region, historically linked to coal, includes some of the poorest counties in the country. The closure of a large share of the mines has deeply weakened many communities.

In Roanoke, volunteers distribute up to 200 meals a day to children during the summer. During the school year, some students receive free breakfasts and lunches. When schools close, those meals disappear as well, increasing pressure on families.

In a household of five living on the equivalent of around €1,200 in monthly benefits, the father explains that he cuts back on his own meals at the end of the month, sometimes eating only one dinner a day. This coping strategy shows that available assistance does not necessarily cover all food needs.

Food assistance benefits, often referred to as food stamps, remain an essential safety net. They reportedly reach 40 million Americans. Jennifer, an unemployed single mother with three dependent children, receives $640 per month for food for five people. As the end of the month approaches, the remaining balance can be very low.

The issue of welfare assistance and eligibility requirements remains politically sensitive. Proposed restrictions on food stamps are seen in these areas as measures that could further weaken already fragile households. This debate is part of a broader context of federal policies and national priorities, including the political climate surrounding the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

Getting Healthcare or Food: An Impossible Choice for Some Households

Access to healthcare is another dividing line. Despite improvements attributed to the healthcare reform introduced under Barack Obama, 28 million Americans reportedly still had no health insurance, according to the data cited.

In Appalachia, humanitarian organizations occasionally hold free medical consultations. Hundreds of people travel, sometimes arriving the day before, to receive medical or dental care. In a gymnasium turned into a temporary clinic, volunteer professionals provide services including cleanings, fillings, extractions and dentures.

Sirénia Collins, a 58-year-old former Marine, lives on a pension of around €700 after a long illness. She went with her family to one of these events after a two-hour bus ride. An extraction and a denture were provided free of charge. The cost of equivalent care would have exceeded €3,000 for her family.

These programs address urgent needs, but their occasional nature highlights the limits of regular access to care for uninsured or underinsured people.

Homelessness: Between Community Solidarity and Rejection

In Los Angeles, citizen-led initiatives are attempting to provide practical responses to life on the streets. Elvis builds small wooden cabins, funded by online donations, for homeless people. Each structure costs around €1,000 and includes an alarm, a smoke detector, a lamp, a phone charger and a solar panel.

These shelters offer more security and privacy than the tents or carts used by some couples. However, installing them on sidewalks is prohibited by the municipality. The conflict between emergency aid, rules governing the use of public space and reactions from local residents illustrates how difficult it is to provide lasting solutions.

American poverty therefore has no single face. It affects the worker sleeping in her car, the ill former executive, the evicted parent, the family dependent on school meals, the retiree who forgoes healthcare and the person forced to live under a tent. Yet these paths share one common point: stability can be lost quickly, while returning to housing, adequate food and accessible healthcare remains far more difficult.

FAQ on Poverty in the United States

Can someone work and still be homeless in the United States?

Yes. Employees may live in their vehicles or temporary accommodation when their income is not enough to pay rent, especially in areas where housing is very expensive.

Why does an eviction make it harder to find a new home?

Legal proceedings and unpaid amounts may appear in databases accessible to landlords. A rental record can then lead to rejections, even when the debt is old.

Are food stamps enough to protect families from hunger?

They are an important form of assistance, but the accounts reported show that some households still have to reduce their meals at the end of the month, particularly when several children are dependent on them.