·
A long-time financial professional, Marguerite Cassandra Toroian was the CEO and president of Financialmuse.com, an online brokerage and educational resource for women. Prior to this, she worked as an analyst for Emerald Asset Management and Ryan Beck & Co. In addition, Marguerite Cassandra Toroian serves on the board of a homeless shelter and has an interest in homelessness in rural areas.
Spotting people who are homeless in large urban areas is not difficult. They are often found in parks, under bridges, or pushing around shopping carts. However, the same is not true of individuals who are homeless in rural areas. These people are often less visible. In fact, many leaders and residents of rural areas are unaware that they have any people who are homeless living in their communities. This is because many people who are part of the rural homeless population live in campers, tents, or shacks with no heat or running water.
A Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report notes that in January 2019, the total number of people in rural areas who were homeless in the United States was 18 percent. Since these individuals are less visible and often do not seek out help due to feeling ashamed, many experts believe these numbers are an underestimation. The Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness also reported that rural homelessness among grade-school students rose by 11 percent from 2013 to 2017. Nationwide, this number was an average of 3 percent during those years.
Often, the same factors that contribute to urban homelessness contribute to rural homelessness. This includes a lack of affordable housing and persistent poverty due to inadequate income. But, people who are homeless in rural communities also have less access to homeless service provider infrastructure compared to people who are homeless in urban areas.
