Family Experiences of Homelessness in Massachusetts: The Case for Family-Centered Care

The number of families experiencing homelessness in the United States has increased from one to 37 percent of the overall homeless population over the past 30 years; Massachusetts is among the top states in the country with the greatest increases in homelessness. Families are at the center of the issue of homelessness. As such, their experience and input must be central to the solution. Over two decades ago, providers came together to form Homes for Families (HFF), as a means to increase the voices of families in advocacy efforts to end family homelessness in Massachusetts. HFF has a long history of engaging families in the development of policy recommendations and in influencing systems change. Before Family-Centered Care (FCC) was a recognized service model in most human service fields, HFF intentionally and actively placed the family voice at the center of its work, promoting provider-policymaker-family partnerships in advocacy and policy making. Over the last 20 years, Family-Centered Care (FCC) has taken hold in the medical community and is now recognized as a core component of working effectively with children and families. However, FCC has yet to truly take hold when addressing service delivery for family homelessness. What has been their lived experience of homelessness? What services are needed for families experiencing homelessness in Massachusetts? What do families say they need most? This study sought to answer these questions and complement the ongoing work of HFF in sharing the voice of parents with policy makers. In 2015 and 2016, Homes for Families asked 117 families experiencing homelessness in Greater Boston and western Massachusetts about their experiences with housing and support services. By listening to families, they identified places where families' needs and the emergency shelter (EA) family homeless service system were aligned, as well as five critical gaps in service needs. Family input to the future design of the emergency assistance (EA) system in Massachusetts is essential to improve the system's overall effectiveness. With the goal of ending family homelessness by 2020, and Massachusetts' efforts to end motel use to house families, the results of this study provide valuable insights about what service users need most to inform the system's development

The effectiveness of housing interventions and housing and service interventions on ending family homelessness : a systematic review.

Family homelessness has become a growing public health problem over the last 3 decades. Despite this trend, few studies have explored the effectiveness of housing interventions and housing and service interventions. The purpose of this systematic review is to appraise and synthesize evidence on effective interventions addressing family homelessness. We searched 10 major electronic databases from 2007 to 2013. Empirical studies investigating effectiveness of housing interventions and housing and service interventions for American homeless families regardless of publication status were eligible for inclusion. Outcomes included housing status, employment, parental trauma and mental health and substance use, children's behavioral and academic status, and family reunification. Study quality was appraised using the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool. Six studies were included in this review. Overall, there was some postintervention improvement in housing and employment, but ongoing residential and work stability were not achieved. Methodological limitations, poor reporting quality, and inconsistent definitions across outcomes hindered between-study comparisons. Substantial limitations in research underscore the insufficiency of our current knowledge base for ending homelessness. Although many families were no longer literally homeless, long-term residential stability and employment at a livable wage were not ensured. Developing and implementing evidence-based approaches for addressing homelessness are long overdue

America's youngest outcasts: a report card on child homelessness

Executive Summary America’s Youngest Outcasts reports on child homelessness in the United States based on the most recent federal data that comprehensively counts homeless children, using more than 30 variables from over a dozen established data sets. A staggering 2.5 million children are now homeless each year in America. This historic high represents one in every 30 children in the United States. Child homelessness increased in 31 states and the District of Columbia from 2012 to 2013. Children are homeless in every city, county, and state—every part of our country. Based on a calculation using the most recent U.S. Department of Education’s count of homeless children in U.S. public schools and on 2013 U.S. Census data: 2,483,539 children experienced homelessness in the U.S. in 2013. This represents one in every 30 children in the U.S. From 2012 to 2013, the number of children experiencing homelessness annually in the U.S.: Increased by 8% nationally. Increased in 31 states and the District of Columbia. Increased by 10% or more in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Major causes of homelessness for children in the U.S. include: (1) the nation’s high poverty rate; (2) lack of affordable housing across the nation; (3) continuing impacts of the Great Recession; (4) racial disparities; (5) the challenges of single parenting; and (6) the ways in which traumatic experiences, especially domestic violence, precede and prolong homelessness for families. The impact of homelessness on the children, especially young children, is devastating and may lead to changes in brain architecture that can interfere with learning, emotional self- regulation, cognitive skills, and social relationships. The unrelenting stress experienced by the parents, most of whom are women parenting alone, may contribute to residential instability, unemployment, ineffective parenting, and poor health. We encourage you to use the information in the report, and ask that you cite it as follows: America’s Youngest Outcasts: A Report Card on Child Homelessness. (2014). Waltham, MA: The National Center on Family Homelessness at American Institutes for Research. Photo Credits: John Soares (www.johnsoares.com); Ren Haoyuan Design: Jeannine Owens (www.gliddonowens.com