single adults were homeless.
Our Mission
Is to provide resources, support, and educational opportunities for local families and individuals struggling with poverty and unstable housing to achieve self-sufficiency and reach their full potential.
COVID-19 Response
Across the country and around the world we are all experiencing the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, however we are not all feeling the same burden imposed by the global pandemic. A vast majority of Americans (78% estimated by Forbes in 2019) live paycheck to paycheck, and many struggle to make rent payments even with a steady paycheck. That puts many individuals and families in extremely precarious situations in current circumstances. If you are able to support your local community, we ask that you consider donating, adopting a family, or joining our mailing list to find out more.
Giving 365 will also be hosting a series of Webinars [Link to event page here] – open to all – to help community members inform themselves about health and safety concerns, help parents learn how to better cope with the extra strain, and ensure that your relationships are nurturing and healthy through this difficult time.
The Cycle – and How We Aim Break It
There are popular misconceptions around what causes homelessness and what it most often looks like—many see substance abuse or mental illness as the prevailing factors that lead an individual, family, or youth into homelessness. However, for many, a relatively small life disruption can derail an individual or family into a situation of homelessness. The loss of a job, an unexpected expense, death of a family member, the end of a relationship, or another life event can propel individuals or families already in a precarious situation into housing instability. For some, this might mean crowding into a non-ideal housing situation with family, seeking public resources such as shelters, or other temporary, challenging situations, or even spending nights without shelter. We aim to #breakthecycle of homelessness by engaging the local community through neighbor to neighbor giving, as well as providing educational resources and support that can help families and individuals achieve more stable living situations and reach their full potential.
``We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.``
-Sir Winston Churchill
Single Adults
Most of the people who experience homelessness are single adults.
On a single night in January 2017:
On a single night in January 2017:
0
0
were unsheltered.
0
had temporary beds to sleep in.
and 1 percent identified as transgender or gender non-conforming.
Why do single adults experience homelessness?
Homelessness among single adults, like homelessness among other populations, is a result of the lack of affordable, available housing. Because of the cost of housing and inadequate incomes, even a temporary financial or life crisis — such as losing a job, the end of a relationship, death of a partner, or health emergency — can result in a loss of housing and homelessness. That being said, the experience of homelessness for this population is most often brief and non-recurring. Despite common stereotypes, most homeless single adults do not suffer from chronic mental illness, substance abuse, or other disabling conditions. Most are homeless for a relatively short time before reconnecting to housing.
How can you help?
Families
Adults and children in families make up about 33 percent of the homeless population.
On a single night in January 2018:
0
(estimated) people in families — or 56,342 family households — were identified as homeless.
0
(approximate) people in families were living on the street, in a car, or in another place not meant for human habitation.
0
people (estimated) in 150,630 family households used an emergency shelter or a transitional housing program between October 1, 2016, and September 30, 2017.
Why do families experience homelessness?
Families experiencing homelessness are similar to other families that are also poor, but who have a home to live in. Both may struggle with incomes that are far less than they need to pay for housing. In fact, it is often some jolt to this precarious situation – a lost job or work hours, conflict with family members they are staying with, an unanticipated bill or violence within the home – that leads families to seek help from homeless service programs. Homeless families are usually headed by a single woman with limited education, are typically young, and have young children.
The impact of homelessness on children
Homelessness can have a tremendous impact on children – their education, health, sense of safety, and overall development. Fortunately, researchers find that children are also highly resilient and differences between children who have experienced homelessness and low-income children who have not typically diminish in the years following a homeless episode.
When compared to low-income and homeless families, children experiencing homelessness have been shown to:
- Have higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems;
- Have increased risk of serious health problems;
- Are more likely to experience separations from their families; and
- Experience more school mobility, repeat a grade, be expelled or drop out of school, and have lower academic performance.
How do we help?
Youth
Every night, thousands of young people experience homelessness without a parent or guardian — and go to sleep without the safety, stability and support of a family or a home.
On a single night in 2018:
0
unaccompanied youth were counted as homeless. Of those, 89 percent were between the ages of 18 to 24. The remaining 11 percent (or 4,093 unaccompanied children) were under the age of 18.
0
%
of homeless youth are unsheltered — sleeping outside, in a car, or some place not meant for human habitation.
0
(approximate) unaccompanied youth and young adults up to age 24 experience a homelessness episode of longer than one week over the course of a year according to The Alliance. More than half are under the age of 18.
Ending homelessness for youth and young adults
To end their homelessness, youth and young adults need stable housing, supportive connections to caring adults, and access to mainstream services that will place them on a path to long-term success. Reunifying youth with family or a support system, when safe and appropriate, should be at the core of any approach. Young adults may also require broader education and employment supports, and may need more low-barrier short- and long-term housing options, including rapid re-housing.
