Homelessness Among Families

ByTaylor Jones

Nicole MasonHaley ReynoldsCasey Van Dyke

According to the HUD exchange, in 2005 there were 463 family households with children reported, aggregated to the state level. In 2011 the report shows only 389 households with children reported in Utah. The reports after that are organized differently, and harder to compare. However, the numbers don’t change much. Forty percent of the homeless population in Utah are made up of homeless families, 30% of these are made up of children. Families are the fastest growing group of homeless in Utah, compared to men and women alone.

There are many causes of homelessness among families. Living pay check to pay check means that one illness or even a few days of missed work can have a drastic effect possibly starting a snowball effect. Bills become late with late fees adding up, growing medical bills, along with the daily financial struggles that are already present such as putting food on the table can be more than a family can financially handle. In some cases families are unable to recover and before they know it they are homeless.

Domestic violence or filing for divorce can also cause family and child homelessness. The fees associated with a divorce along with the often dramatic decrease in household income when a two parent home becomes a one parent home can be devastating. Rising housing prices are proving to be a problem as well. With many people making inadequate income they are unable to stretch their dollar far enough to cover the basic costs required to keep a roof over their family’s head. Getting ahead and saving money in order to prevent a family from falling into crisis such as these often feels like a daunting and impossible task to many.

In Utah, and around the country, there are programs designed to help homeless families and children get back on their feet. Federally, there is an assistance program called the Temporary Assistance of Needy Families (TANF), which provides assistance to families with little or no income. The eligibility requirements to get TANF are:

• There must be a dependent child in the family

• Social security number must be provided• The income of the family must not exceed

200% of the poverty level

You may receive this assistance for longer than four months which may not be enough time for a homeless family to get back on their feet.

The Road Home, located in downtown Salt Lake, is also a great resource for homeless families and children. They are a non-profit organization that provides shelter, food, necessary hygiene items, and assistance transitioning from a shelter to a homeAnother option is the Volunteers of America (VOA) organization. The VOA is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in need including homeless families and children. They provide a list of supporting services such as eviction prevention, emergency services, transitional housing and permanent affordable housing. They also have a “mobile outreach service” where they are able to communicate with homeless individuals on the street and try to help them.

Along with these non-profit organizations the State of Utah also provides shelters for the homeless. There are many homeless shelters throughout the state but very long waiting lists are a problem for those working very hard to assist these families.

There are many ways to help the homeless but understanding them is where we need to start. Understanding their story without judgment, knowing that we do not know their story or the circumstances that brought them to this place is a good beginning. We need to challenge ourselves to see these families and individuals as humans in need. It is easy to think that homeless people have made or continue to make choices in life that will contribute to their homelessness but through empathy and understanding and letting go of judgment we can better help those in need.

Children who are born into a homeless family may be brought up believing that homelessness is the only option. Helping homeless families changes these beliefs and teaches children the value of a stable home and community.

Understanding that homelessness can happen to anyone will help us to work together to solve this problem and to help those in need. Leaving judgment behind and offering respect and kindness to those who are struggling will make a difference and while many programs are available to help families in need without volunteers and support these programs are not possible. Learning about programs available in your community and what you can do to help will go a long way.

References:• http://www.familyhomelessness.org/facts.php?p=tm• http://www.homeaid.org/homeaid-stories/69/top-causes-of-homelessness• http://jobs.utah.gov/housing/scso/hprrh/• http://www.theroadhome.org/services• http://www.voa.org/homeless-people• http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/utah.html• http://bor.strongfamiliesnow.org/• http://familyhousetoledo.org/• http://99problems.org/2009/07/homeless-families-hit-the-streets/• http://supportivehousingcommunities.org/index.php/site/entry/support-for-chronically-homeless-families• https://www.justgive.org/donations/help-homeless.jsp• http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765616197/Homeless-meters-help-to-raise-funds.html?pg=all• http://hop.ccscranbrook.ca/• http://jamesharpermedia.com/social-media-speaks-out-against-domestic-violence/• http://www.givewatches.org/partners/