Not all types of homelessness are equally visible. It is easy to see homelessness when it involves single men, often mentally ill or drug-addicted, who live on the streets. But homelessness is also thousands and thousands of parents with children who don’t have a safe place to sleep at night. This family homelessness is often hidden from view.
Consider Candice and Ryan, who met in a program for homeless teenagers, and their young son, Nathaniel. Candice’s parents kicked her out of the house because she was fighting with her sister. Ryan’s father told him to leave when he stopped going to school and started doing drugs. When they found out Candice was pregnant, they had no money, no prospects, and nowhere to go.
In 2004, they were accepted into a transitional-housing program where they were given a stable home and a case manager, Jen, who helped them devise a plan for the future. With extensive interview training, Ryan, who had stopped doing drugs, got a job at a grocery store. He earned three raises in just over a year. Candice stays at home with 1-year-old Nathanial. With Jen’s help, she found several organizations that counsel new parents, and she says they have “helped me be the mom I always wanted to be.”
In 2006, Candice and Ryan graduated from the program and moved into their own two-bedroom apartment. Now their family has a permanent home, a steady income, and a bright future. “This is a great place to start over,” Candice said as she packed boxes for the move. “We’ve done it.”
On any given night in Washington state, more than 25,000 people are homeless, and 40 percent of them are like Candice, Ryan, and Nathanial—families with children. Homeless families face a special set of challenges. For example, almost half of homeless children don’t attend school regularly, and they are four times more likely than other kids to be developmentally delayed.
Next: The Response