What is the difference between family homelessness and the homelessness that individuals experience on the street?
The term “homeless” is often associated with more visible forms of homelessness, such as the experience of single adults living on the street. In contrast, family homelessness typically consists of at least one parent with a child under the age of 18. Families are more likely to live in shelters, hotels/motels, or doubled up with others rather than on the street.
What are the primary causes of family homelessness in New York City?
The causes of homelessness in families are complex and can often overlap. The primary causes of family homelessness in New York City are conflict, eviction, and domestic violence.
What are the most significant challenges families who are homeless face?
Experiencing homelessness as a family can be incredibly distressing for every member. Children may face disruptions to their education, feel socially isolated from their previous support systems, such as school friends, and experience increased physical and mental health risks. Additionally, parents may find it challenging to find employment, arrange childcare, and access resources like healthcare services. The strain of these challenges on families can lead to long-lasting impacts on their overall health.
What are the latest trends in family homelessness in New York City?
There has been a marked rise in the family homelessness census in New York City over the past several years, with the most recent surge starting around Spring 2022. Coinciding factors, such as the end of the eviction moratorium in January 2022 (originally put in place in 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic) and the influx of asylum-seeking families, among other circumstances, have led to an increase in the proportion of homeless families within the shelter population. This shift in the demographics of homelessness highlights the growing impact on families, underlining the need for urgent action.
How do issues like race, gender, and economic inequality intersect with and contribute to family homelessness?
The complexities of family homelessness can be seen through a lens of intersectionality, recognizing how factors like race, gender, and economic inequality intersect in this crisis. For instance, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to experience homelessness due to issues like systemic racism that limit general access to resources. Further, women and children are disproportionately impacted by family homelessness due to gender-based bias, such as in the form of wage disparities and employment discrimination.
What types of support services are effective for families experiencing homelessness?
Holistic support for families can help promote their path to stability and self-sufficiency after experiencing homelessness. Key components include access to family shelters with comprehensive social services for immediate assistance, early educational interventions to break the cycle of poverty among children, and targeted job training for adults to secure stable employment. Such approaches aim to address the immediate needs of homeless families while laying the groundwork for long-term resilience.
What resources are available for families experiencing homelessness?
Family shelters offer temporary residence and supportive services, while housing subsidies such as rental assistance vouchers can help families afford private market rentals. Food benefits and assistance programs (such as SNAP) ensure access to nutritious food, addressing immediate nutritional needs. Additionally, programs like HomeBase in New York City specialize in homeless prevention, offering services like emergency rental assistance and mediation to prevent eviction.
How does family homelessness impact children’s education?
Family homelessness significantly impacts children’s education. Children experiencing homelessness tend to miss school more often than their peers, resulting in chronic absenteeism. Due to the instability of their living situations, the lack of continuity in their education can directly impact their ability to perform academically.
For more information:
https://www.icphusa.org/reports/disparities-in-academic-achievement/#overview
https://www.icphusa.org/commentary/homeless-students-and-absenteeism/
How can data and technology be used more effectively to help families experiencing homelessness?
Improved data collection and sharing among local social service agencies and nonprofit providers can aid families facing homelessness. Enhancing tracking and recording can make it possible to provide more targeted support to each family. Moreover, effective data sharing ensures more coordinated and comprehensive assistance for families.
How does ICPH collaborate with other organizations and government agencies?
ICPH collaborates with other groups by working in coalition with partners that share a vested interest in reducing family homelessness and increasing family resilience. Partnerships in the family homelessness space help spread awareness, build capacity, and promote best practices to ensure families have the support they need to overcome homelessness and achieve long-term stability. To partner with us, please contact info@icphusa.org.
What is the McKinney-Vento Act?
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was the first significant federal legislative response to homelessness. It ensures the enrollment and educational stability of homeless children.
The McKinney-Vento Act ensures that homeless children receive free transportation to and from school, allows them to continue attending their previous school, and guarantees registration even without typically required documents. The act also requires states and school districts to hire staff to assist homeless families and ensure they are aware of these rights.
The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence,” thus including children in various living conditions, such as those who share housing due to economic hardship or live in emergency or transitional shelters, among other circumstances.
For more information:
https://www.icphusa.org/mkv/
What is “right to shelter”?
Many municipalities and local governments are required to provide temporary emergency shelter to all eligible individuals every night due to the “right to shelter” mandate. New York City and the state of Massachusetts are among those with such mandates. Recent influxes of new arrivals have strained the shelter systems of many US cities and states, several of which were already struggling due to a lack of affordable housing.
These challenges have been cited as the reason for eliminating or limiting the “right to shelter.” In March 2024, New York City and the Legal Aid Society reached a temporary settlement after NYC attempted to suspend its legal obligation to provide shelter. As it stands, NYC’s mandate remains in place, with provisions limiting the time single adult migrants can stay in the shelter system as long as the influx continues. The settlement does not apply to migrant families, although their time in certain types of shelters is also limited. Massachusetts’ right to shelter law, which only applies to families, has also faced recent challenges. Citing a rise in shelter demand caused by the large influx of new arrivals, the state has imposed a 9-month shelter limit for all families regardless of immigration status.
Updated as of 5/20/2024