Young Mothers: Targeting Housing and Services

1
Young Mothers Targeting Housing and Services

• National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference
• February 9, 2007

2
Young Mothers Targeting Housing and Services

• Research Overview
• Katie Volk, MA

3
Who Are Homeless Families?

• Mother with two children.
• 42 of sheltered children under 6 years old.
• 43 African-American 38 White, non Hispanic
  15 Hispanic 3 Native American.

Burt, M. Aron, L. (2000). Americas Homeless
II Populations and Services (Washington, DC The
Urban Institute).

4
Homeless Mothers

• 53 without a high school diploma.
• Minimum wage jobs with no benefits or
  flexibility.
  
• Mean income 46 of poverty level.

Burt, M, Aron, L., Douglas, T. et al. (1999).
Homelessness Programs and the People They Serve.
Urban Institute.
5
Many Homeless Families Are Hidden

• Unsheltered families include
• Doubled up
• In campgrounds, cars, parks
• Hotels/motels
• 29 of shelter requests by families went unmet in
  2006.
  
• 86 of cities turned families away from emergency
  shelters due to lack of resources.
  
• Source US Conference of Mayors, 2006.
• US Conference of Mayors. (2004). Hunger and
  Homelessness Survey 2004.
  

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Homelessness and TraumaMothers Experiences

• Homelessness is traumatic.
• 92 experience severe physical and/or sexual
  abuse in their lifetime.

Homeless Children Americas New Outcasts (1999).
Newton Centre, MA The National Center on Family
Homelessness.
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Impact of Homelessness and Trauma

• Homeless mothers have
• Three times the rate of PTSD (36)
• Twice the rate of drug and alcohol dependence
  (41)
  
• Twice the rate of major depressive disorders (45)

Bassuk, E.L., Buckner, J., Perloff, J., Bassuk,
S. (1998). Prevalence of mental health and
substance abuse disorders among homeless and
low-income housed mothers. The American Journal
of Psychiatry, 155(1) 1561-1564. Bassuk, E.L.,
Weinreb, L., Buckner, J. , et al. (1996). The
characteristics and needs of sheltered homeless
and low-income housed mothers. JAMA, 276(8)
640-646.
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Young Mothers

• 26 of family homeless population is 17-24 years
  old. (1)
  
• One-third who exit shelter likely to become
  homeless again within 10 years. (2)
  

(1) Burt, M, Aron, L., Douglas, T. et al.
(1999). Homelessness Programs and the People
They Serve. Urban Institute. (2) Smith N et al.
Understanding family homelessness in NYC. Vera
Institute of Justice. 2005.
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Homelessness and Foster Care

• Overrepresentation in homeless population.
• Those with a foster care history tend to become
  homeless at an earlier age than those who do not
  have a foster care history. (1)
  
• Childhood placement in foster care can correlate
  with a substantial increase in the length of a
  person's homeless experience. (1)

(1) Roman, N. and Wolfe, P. (1995). Web of
Failure The Relationship Between Foster Care and
Homelessness. Washington, DC National Alliance
to End Homelessness.
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Housing and Services Challenges and
Opportunities