percentage of americans that americans think...
... own a house: 65%


actual percentage of americans who...
...own a house: 49% (and falling)

ever since the recession that began in 2008, which was caused by bad mortgages that never should have been written and derivatives based on them, there are 20 million more people in the u.s. who rent (rather than own a home) than there were before the crash.

in the u.s., there are currently more vacant houses than homeless people.

(hmmm...)

about 57,000 american veterans are currently homeless.

in many u.s. states, it is essentially against the law to be homeless. in houston, texas, you can be arrested for dumpster diving. in san francisco, a homeless man was arrested for panhandling when he fell asleep while sitting on a milk crate.