Why do Families Become Homeless?

Homeless mom describes the hardship of finding housing with her children. Homeless mom describes the hardship of finding housing with her children. | Sacramento Bee. Load video

I passed by a city of pea and murky white tents on the littered sand of Venice Beach, CA some years back. The day was hot and humid and sticky and the stench of rotting pizza and empty beer cans made my stomach turn. Out from one of the tents emerged a homeless girl. She couldn't have been more than 4-years old. She was thin and dusty with a chocolate-covered face. She looked happy but seeing her like that made me feel sad.

It has been estimated that over one and a half billion people worldwide are homeless. Of those, 30% are families with children.

Naomi was one of the 30%. She tells her story here:

For Naomi, going homeless was an attempt to gain financial freedom. For those who choose to become homeless, this is a common reason why. Homelessness, however, in most cases is not by choice.

A family is a group of individuals with the same ancestor. A nuclear family is a couple and their dependent children. Why do parents and their dependent children become homeless?

Insufficient funding is the common denominator. Families become homeless because they can't pay rent. Responsibilities to the family can often result in job loss. Separation from a spouse, domestic violence, physical and mental problems, drug and alcohol abuse, and incarceration can all lead to eviction. In other words, families become homeless because they go broke.

CHILDREN ARE EXPENSIVE

Unlike single adult individuals, families have children to take care of. Anyone who has ever raised a child knows how expensive they can be. They grow out of their clothes in little over a week. They eat too much, way too much. A study conducted by comedy central shows that a 12-year-old boy can eat 137 times his body weight in 22 hours! Especially in low socio-economic regions, regions where family incomes fall well below the poverty line, maintaining a proper home can be challenging. With all joking aside: children can be expensive.

MINIMUM WAGES JUST DON'T CUT IT

Most employers pay too little. That has been a fact for decades. When an eviction notice appears taped on the window frame of the front door, the reason is often poverty.

The economic strain due to supporting dependents renders families more susceptible than single individuals to experience homelessness on any given night. According to the National Coalition of homelessness, an estimated 55,739 families were homeless in 2020. Approximately a third were not even in a shelter.

HOW FAMILIES BECOME BROKE

job loss

Many families become homeless because of job loss. Families, as compared to individuals, are more susceptible to losing their jobs due to poor attendance. Children help make that a reality. Adults of families are responsible for getting the child up and ready for school. No matter what the parent tries, on some days, the child will not cooperate. The result is that momma arrives 57 minutes late to work.

Not only do individuals with families have issues getting to work on time, but sometimes showing up at all can be a problem. What is a parent to do when a child gets sick and needs daddy to stay home and look after them for a day or two until she gets better?

Companies are usually sympathetic to parents concerning punctuality. That sympathy only goes so far though. Company policies on attendance often do not offer as many absences or tardies as a parent realistically needs. So mommy gets fired.

separation from spouse

Families can also become homeless due to the separation of a spouse. This is especially true when it takes two full-time incomes just to make ends meet. When an argument ensues and a relationship is terminated, one or the other cannot afford to keep the family under a roof. Separation in cases like these means devastation.

health issues

Sometimes families go homeless due to a physical injury. A skiing accident, for example, leaves the family provider unemployed with a broken leg. Other times it's a more chronic physical condition like cancer. Physical illnesses have the propensity to prevent families from earning an income.

Not only do physical injuries and illnesses cause families to go homeless, but mental illnesses are a common reason as well. Depression makes waking up for employment seem daunting. An individual suffering from schizophrenia may experience a violent psychotic episode, for example, landing himself in jail or 86'd from the workplace.

domestic violence

Sometimes domestic violence causes family homelessness. An abused parent is forced to leave with their children to avoid future abuse. One study showed that as much as 18% of homeless women reported being victims of domestic abuse. Domestic violence is often the result of drug and alcohol abuse

drugs or alcohol use

In addition to domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse can also be the cause of family homelessness. Sometimes a family member suffers from an addiction and cannot contribute to the rent. Other times they steal the rent from those who pay it.

incarceration

The final reason why parents and children become homeless is due to incarceration. This can happen when the individual who is arrested contributes significantly to the rent, leaving the spouse with the kids unable to make the full payments.

eviction

All of the problems discussed lead to eviction. A family becomes homeless when a Court Marshall throws them out.

In this article, we looked at the many reasons why families become homeless. It was suggested that the economic stress caused by child rearing is often blamed for why families become evicted and then houseless. You may be wondering now, however, why do people without kids become homeless then? You can read that here: "Why People Become Homeless."