Children Pay the Price for Homelessness
As a part of its public education initiative, Family Housing Fund compiled data on childhood homelessness into this two-page fact sheet. This resource provides an overview of the rise in childhood homelessness and the negative impacts homelessness has on children’s health, development, and education.
Homelessness among people of all ages rose sharply between 2006 to 2012, and the number of homeless children grew 30 percent (quadrupled over 20 years). As of 2014, 12% of students enrolled in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Public School districts were homeless. In 2012, one-third of homeless parents were working but could not find affordable housing with wages less than $10 per hour.
While the primary response to family homelessness is supportive housing, which combines affordable housing with a wide range of programs and services, more than half of Minnesota’s homeless families reported being on the waiting list for supportive housing. The region needs to invest in a comprehensive, effective system of supportive housing to serve our growing number of homeless families.
Curious about the link between housing and health?
