News release: “Hunger and Homelessness are both on the rise according to a U.S. Conference of Mayors report on the status of Hunger and Homelessness in America. For more than 22 years, the Conference of Mayors has documented the magnitude of the issues of hunger and homelessness in our nation’s cities..this report provides an analysis of the scale of the problem in twenty-five of America’s major cities and the efforts these cities are making to address the issue…The report reveals that on average, cities reported a 12 percent increase in homelessness from 2007 to 2008, with 16 cities citing an increase in the number of homeless families. The lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment were cited as the primary causes of homelessness for families…Twelve cities (63) percent reported an increase in homelessness because of the foreclosure crisis.”