Family Homelessness
Family homelessness is defined as the status of at least one parent and one child living together without stable housing.
Family homelessness can be caused by any number of reasons; perhaps they are fleeing domestic violence, in financial distress or lack access to affordable housing. Few shelters are available for families and most are reserved for women and children. Many shelters also have strict regulations against boys aged 14 and older and require them to be separated from females. These rules split families apart, leaving teenage sons abandoned from their mothers and sisters. Since most families are opposed to separating, they tend to “double up” and move in with other families.
While many parents may be actively working, costs to cover the initial security deposit for housing can be an unreachable expense. Living paycheck to paycheck to survive and support family members makes it near impossible to accrue savings for these initial down payments. Some solutions for family homelessness recognize these difficulties, including a program called Rapid Re-housing. This model helps locate affordable housing and provides short term financial assistance to families in need of a small boost to sustain themselves.
Family homelessness can be caused by any number of reasons; perhaps they are fleeing domestic violence, in financial distress or lack access to affordable housing. Few shelters are available for families and most are reserved for women and children. Many shelters also have strict regulations against boys aged 14 and older and require them to be separated from females. These rules split families apart, leaving teenage sons abandoned from their mothers and sisters. Since most families are opposed to separating, they tend to “double up” and move in with other families.
While many parents may be actively working, costs to cover the initial security deposit for housing can be an unreachable expense. Living paycheck to paycheck to survive and support family members makes it near impossible to accrue savings for these initial down payments. Some solutions for family homelessness recognize these difficulties, including a program called Rapid Re-housing. This model helps locate affordable housing and provides short term financial assistance to families in need of a small boost to sustain themselves.