Domestic violence is the No. 2 driver of homelessness in Clark County, report finds

Clark County’s homelessness report, released earlier this week, found that the number one driver of homelessness is the rising cost of housing.

However, the report’s second leading cause of homelessness, domestic violence, surprised KIRO host Ursula Reutin and fill-in host Angela Poe Russell.

“Domestic violence and homelessness, that combination is not something that we have talked about on this show, or do I hear it talked about on any other program,” Ursula said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

Angela pointed out just how much domestic violence impacts homelessness in Clark County, as the report shows the number of people homeless due to domestic violence doubled from that time —from around 808 to 1,794.

High cost of living contributes to homelessness

Looking at the cost of living, Angela noted that the living wage calculator shows that a person without children needs $26 an hour to cover basic costs, but that figure rises to $60 an hour for a single parent with two kids.

“I keep wondering how are people doing it?” she said. “Especially if you’re in a job where you have to drive, and the cost is so significant.”

Angela said she has no tolerance for companies that make substantial profits but don’t pay their employees a living wage.

“I have no tolerance for companies that make a ton of profit. I’m not talking about just your revenue, but I’m talking about profit. And they don’t pay their employees a wage that allows them to actually live. I have no tolerance for that. I won’t support it,” she said.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.