No Place Like Home: Addressing Family Homelessness Through Community Collaboration
Family homelessness is a growing issue affecting countless communities across the U.S. With the increasing cost of housing, economic instability, and limited job opportunities, many families are finding themselves struggling to make ends meet and ultimately facing the prospect of losing their homes. When families experience homelessness, they face a multitude of challenges that can undermine their well-being and their ability to thrive. Despite the widespread prevalence of this issue, family homelessness remains largely invisible, and many families struggle to access the support they need when they need it most. For this reason and more, it’s critical to raise awareness of family homelessness and to support families experiencing homelessness and prevent further displacement.
Because the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the collection of data, 2020 is the most recent year with accurate statistics on the extent of homelessness in America and its impact on specific populations. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 580,466 people in America experienced homelessness that year, with families with children accounting for 30% of that total. According to the National Center on Family Homelessness, 2.5 million children now experience homelessness each year in America—a historic high. Homelessness affects one out of every 30 children in the country.
How can we help families find secure and stable housing? To start, meaningful solutions must consider the many causes of homelessness in America, and the wide range of effects it has on families and children.
The Causes of Family Homelessness
No doubt, every story of homelessness is complex and multi-faceted, involving a mixture of personal, societal, and economic factors. Addressing root causes is no simple matter.
Substance abuse, mental health challenges, and domestic violence are frequently cited as contributing causes to homelessness. Still, the primary factor underlying family homelessness and housing insecurity is the availability of affordable housing. Since the mid-1980s, the supply of low-cost housing in the U.S. has dramatically fallen—even as rent has risen while relative wages have remained largely stagnant. Today, America faces a severe crisis in affordable housing.
In the U.S., there’s a shortage of 7.3 million available rental homes that people with incomes at or below the federal poverty level can afford. Eight million households are at high risk of housing instability or homelessness because they already devote at least half of their income toward housing costs. Another 3.7 million people are at risk of housing instability because they’re sharing their housing with other people, which can also have negative repercussions.
During the pandemic, millions of people lost their jobs and were put at severe risk of housing insecurity. Emergency rental assistance and a suspension on evictions helped alleviate that problem. However, 20% of renters with children were still not caught up with rent by October 2021, and rental assistance programs have or will soon expire in many states. As housing prices and rental costs continue to soar, inflation is now making it even harder to make rent. Many families also encounter discrimination and unfair treatment in the housing market, further limiting their access to safe, affordable, and reliable housing.
The Impact of Homelessness on Families
While any person or group can experience homelessness, the immediate and long-term impact can be particularly challenging for families and children. Housing insecurity has significant, adverse effects on physical, mental, and social health, especially on families and children.
Children experiencing housing insecurity are more likely to have emotional and behavioral challenges, as well as health-related problems. Young children, who would normally be at home for large portions of each day, are particularly susceptible. They suffer socially and academically from the dislocation, upheaval, and social stigma of homelessness, and their circumstances increase their likelihood of interaction with the criminal justice system and child welfare services.
Nevertheless, there is hope. Research indicates that the impact on children who experience homelessness fades over time, especially with an increase in proper support, stability, and healthy development.