What is the difference between family homelessness and Chronic Homelessness?

When people hear the word “homeless” they often think of a stereotypical image of someone experiencing chronic homelessness, living on the street with substance abuse or mental health issues. This painfully inaccurate image paints unhoused people in a negative and harsh light.

Family homelessness on the other hand, consists of at least one parent with a child under the age of 18, most commonly led by a young, low-income, BIPOC, single mother. Families experiencing homelessness are more likely to live in a shelter, motels, or doubled up with other families, rather than on the street. Their homelessness tends to be the result of situational poverty created by an event or temporary condition (domestic violence, job loss, divorce, illness, etc.) or generational poverty. Families experiencing homelessness have needs and challenges beyond housing to being able to maintain permanent housing (limited education, lack of a work history, poor credit, substance use, etc.).

What does it mean when people refer to the “Invisible homeless”?

The most visible form of homelessness is a chronically homeless individual living on the street, however, many families go about their lives, attending school or work, without anyone realizing they are experiencing homelessness. Many of these families are living doubled up with friends or family, rather than in shelters or on the street, making them difficult to count. They are the “invisible homeless”. 75% are doubled up, 15% are in temporary shelter, 7% stay in motels. Only 4% are unsheltered.

What does doubled up mean and why is it considered homeless?

“Doubled up” refers to an individual or family who is unable to maintain independent housing and is forced to stay with friends or family members, often in overcrowded conditions.

Children living doubled up may be at even greater risk for instability and its harmful effects on education when compared to their peers in shelter. For example, in San Francisco, students living doubled up graduated from high school at lower rates than those living in shelter for some or all of high school. Living doubled up comes with the uncertainty of frequent moves, which often necessitate transferring schools, and not knowing when your welcome might be overstayed. One in 30 public school students in San Francisco are homeless – enough to fill 70 classrooms.

What is the impact of homelessness on children?

Children who experience long-term homelessness are 5x more likely to become homeless as adults. Long-term homelessness impedes the social, emotional and intellectual development of children. Less than ½ of all homeless students are at grade level proficiency in writing and math.