The Need for Change: homeless women and children

 THE BIG PICTURE

• Families make up 34% of the total US homeless population.

• 87% of homeless families are headed by women. (Single-parent families are among the poorest in the nation and, as such, are extremely vulnerable to homelessness.)

• Homeless families are typically comprised of a woman under 30 with 2 children.

• Roughly 1.6 million children will experience homelessness in the course of 1 year.

• Researchers estimate that more than 200,000 children are homeless on any given day.

• 42% of children in homeless families are under age 6.

• Over 50% of homeless mothers have experienced a major depressive episode since becoming homeless.

• Over 1/3 of homeless mothers have a chronic physical condition.

• Families who have experienced homelessness have much higher rates of family separation.

• At least 30% of children in foster care could return home if their parents had access to housing.

• 92% of homeless mothers say they have experienced severe physical and/or sexual abuse.

• 53% of homeless mothers do not have a high school diploma.

THE LOCAL PICTURE

• Women and children made up 55% of the total individuals served at UGM in 2013: 1,743 women and children out of 3,186 total.

• 148,027 meals served to women & children.

• 62,316 nights of shelter provided to women & children

CHANGE is needed. Discover how you can help break the cycle of homelessness, addiction and abuse, and PARTNER with the Union Gospel Mission to reach homeless women and children.

You might be interested in these posts on what UGM is doing to help homeless women and children:

• Homeless Women: Who Will Believe in Them?
• Women in Free Fall: the Missing Safety Net for Homeless Families
• What Are We Going to Do about Martha?
• Recovery: the Choice to Change