Sheltered Without Support: Where Do Most Homeless Families End Up?

The number of children in the United States classified as “low-income” has reached unprecedented heights. As the country’s impoverished population grows, a significant portion of families will experience homelessness. While a decline in the total number of homeless individuals in the United States is encouraging, the fact that in 2013 emergency shelters were consistently full suggests that homelessness continues to be a persistent problem in the United States.

A recent study conducted by researcher Peter Miller from the University of Wisconsin investigates the varied experiences of mothers who are homeless and highly mobile (HHM). Among homeless families, HHM families make up a large majority of the population. Through his research, Miller finds that, when facing homelessness, HHM families tend to choose one of two alternatives: doubling up to live with friends or family or finding refuge in emergency shelters.

Miller analyzes populations of county-run agencies and shelters serving homeless families in a large US city. These places vary in services offered, representing a continuum of long-term to short-term care, and in size and structure, but they all provide both services and places to stay for HHM families.

The study shows that the majority of mothers who lacked secure housing first sought residence with friends or relatives. This choice to double up appears to cause a number of added stressors: mothers often described the experience as unstable and discouraging. Many mothers noted that their friends and relatives also faced significant stressors of their own, both financial and personal. They reported feeling “stuck in a rut” when moving in with others; despite a desire to change their circumstances, they found that living with people who knew their pasts held them back. The mothers in the study who initially doubled up eventually reached a breaking point at which they sought the help of a shelter.

Choosing to double up, rather than seek out institutional assistance, allows families to avoid the explicit label of homelessness, which is the primary reason mothers are initially attracted to the option. But this anonymity may come with a heavy price. In focus groups held as part of Miller’s research, participants who doubled up repeatedly reported being unaware of social service opportunities available through schools or in communities. Their children were rarely reported as homeless to their schools.

When families do seek out residential homeless services, emergency shelters are the most frequently visited agencies. However, a major challenge identified in focus groups was the lack of ability to form helpful relationships with staff, due to the transitory nature of shelter life. This study finds that both clients and staff cycle in and out of emergency shelters rapidly—over half of families stayed less than a month, and more than 40 percent of shelter staff held their jobs for less than two years.

The study also uncovers a large reported information gap between shelter staff and the schools of children residing at their shelters. Only 42 percent of emergency shelter staff reported an understanding of “how schools work,” and only 12 percent reported that they spoke with school staff often. Just 39 percent of shelter staff, furthermore, claimed to know much about the McKinney-Vento Act, a key federal legislation that enables states to provide homeless children with services such as free transportation to school. This implies that information gaps may be resulting in unused resources that could be made available to homeless children.

Though the study finds that choosing to live in long-term shelters is unpopular, this alternative may most effectively provide long-term stability. Relationships with shelter staff have been shown to be a valuable support system for families, particularly in navigating educational and health care resources. If further research supports the suggestions in the current study, that doubling up and temporary stays at emergency shelters can be more detrimental than stays at longer-term facilities, legislators should think seriously about the unintended negative consequences caused by acts like HEARTH. Rapid rehousing may cost mothers the ability to develop a sustainable support system and learn how to access community resources.

Article Source: Families’ Experiences in Different Homeless and Highly Mobile Settings: Implications for School and Community Practice. Education and Urban Society, 2015. 1-32.

Feature Photo: cc/(Grey World)