The Ask Jacki Series is a new effort to provide dialogue and get your most pressing questions answered by one of the top experts in family homelessness.
Question – Is Family Homelessness Really a Huge Problem?
How big of a problem is family homelessness? I see homeless men and women all the time asking for money on the street corner, but I never see families asking for help.
Answer – Unfortunately, yes. Family homelessness is a big problem in our community.
According to the last estimates from the Family Housing Hub (the central intake for Save the Family and other organizations providing emergency shelter and housing for homeless families across the Phoenix metro area), more than 50 families fall into homelessness each week in Maricopa County. So, 50 families a week, 200 families a month, 2,400 families a year. So really, the problem is enormous. And it’s sadly getting worse.
We here at Save the Family call families that find themselves homeless “the hidden homeless.” Parents with children aren’t the ones you often see on the side of the road asking for money or food. The risk is just too great. They are worried about losing their children – in addition to having already lost their home.
At Save the Family, 60% of the families we serve are headed by single mothers, many of whom are survivors of domestic violence. In fact, the leading cause of family homelessness nationwide is domestic violence. We try to resolve the housing issues first under a “housing first” model of service delivery, then address other underlying issues there may be through supportive services – job search assistance, connections to therapy to help overcome trauma, mental health services, etc.
To learn more about our work, please visit us online at www.savethefamily.org/what-we-do.
To ask a question about our work and potentially get your answer covered as part of the Ask Jacki Series, contact us directly. Email Jamie or call her at (480) 466-7706 to pose your question.