LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Homelessness in the United States is at an all-time high. In the United States, more than 653,000 people, including more than 111,000 children under the age of 18, are unhoused, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The issue is also in the Natural State. In 2023 in Arkansas, 2,609 people were homeless, an increase of 6% from 2022.
It’s a path no one expects to find themselves on, but for the past two years Jay and Deborah Meadows have been on it, calling the streets of Little Rock their home.
“It’s been sometimes living on the street, sometimes hotels. Just kind of back and forth at times,” Jay said.
Both Jay and Deborah are 66 years old, surviving off a little more than $1,000 a month.
“There have been times that I decided between her and our dog Queen,” Jay …