Homeless Woman

Homeless Woman

What proportion of the homeless population in the United States is comprised of families? Census 2000 counted 170,706 individuals living in emergency and transitional shelters for the homeless, out of a total US population of 281,421,906, or .6 percent of the population (Smith and Smith 2001). Of this number approximately 25.7 percent were under eighteen years old. The 1996 National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC) (Burt et al. 1999) gathered information on homelessness from a statistical sample of homeless-serving agencies in the US and found that 15 percent of all homeless households were families consisting of a homeless individual with one or more minor children with them. However, if one considers all homeless individuals including minor children, then 34 percent of homeless people found at homeless assistance program were members of homeless families. Of the minor children living with their homeless parent, 20 percent were infants and toddlers (up to age two), 22 percent were preschoolers (ages three to five), 33 percent were elementary school age (six to twelve) and 20 percent were adolescents (twelve to seventeen) (National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients NSHAPC 1999).

Homeless women have very negative experiences of local authorities

The majority of homeless women report negative experiences of approaching local authorities, with many being 'turned away at the door' or deterred by front line staff from making an application. As a result many women are reluctant to seek support. Over a third of homeless women do not approach their local authority or could not remember doing so . Of those who do make an application less than one third are awarded “priority need” status and 28 per cent are found to be “intentionally” homeless. Nearly one third of homeless women classed as “single homeless” are not childless, many had ...