One Number Deep Dive: Family Homelessness

FAMILY HOMELESSNESS

Each month the One Number update provides data on households experiencing homelessness. The Department of Housing and Urban Development defines a household as  a single individual or group of persons who live together in a unit or would want to live together in a unit if they were housed. The One Number update reports out on single adult households (single adults ages 25 years or older), unaccompanied youth (single adults ages 18-24), multiple adult households (households consisting of two or more people who are 18 years of age or older) and households with minor children which are defined as households that include at least one adult (age 18 or older) and one child in the household who is under the age of 18.

While there are many different types of families (biological, chosen, family of origin), for the purpose of this blog, when we refer to family homelessness, we are referring to households with minor children.

FAMILY ONE NUMBER DATA

As of August 31, 2024, there are 346 households with minor children experiencing homelessness in Charlotte-Mecklenburg totaling 1145 people. This total includes 737 children under the age of 18 and 39 parenting youth households (totaling 84 people). Included are 6 Veteran households, and 29 individuals who meet the criteria for chronic homelessness.

Inflow/Outflow

During August 2024, 149 households with minor children totaling 493 people entered the homeless services system including 117 new households with minor children. A household is considered “new” if they have not touched the HMIS system in the past 24 months. Twelve households with minor children returned from inactive status (which means they were previously exited from our community by name list due to no contact for 30 days and are now re-entering the system) and 20 households with minor children returned to homelessness after previously exiting the homeless services system to a permanently housed situation. A total of 38 households with minor children were housed during August 2024. Together these 38 households had a median length of time homeless of 186 days.

Family Characteristics

• Of the 346 family heads of household experiencing homelessness as of August 31, 2024, 91% identified as women only, 9% identified as men only, and <1% identified as transgender or non-binary.
• Seventy-nine percent identified as Black, African American, or African only, 9% identified as White only, 6% identified as multi-racial, and 5% identified as Hispanic/Latin(a)(e)(o) only.
• Forty-one percent of heads of household self-reported a disability with 21% reporting a chronic health condition, 4% reporting a developmental disability, 29% reporting a mental health disorder, 10% reporting a physical disability, and 7% reporting an alcohol or drug use disorder or both.
• Of the 737 children in these households, caregivers reported 32% had a disability. Twelve percent of the children had a chronic health condition, 13% had a developmental disability, 14% had a mental health condition, and 6% had a physical disability.
• Thirty-three percent of family heads of household reported being survivors of domestic violence, and 15% reported that they are currently fleeing a domestic violence situation.
• Heads of households of minor children most frequently reported entering the homeless services system from a place not meant for habitation (42%), from staying with friends or family (20%), and from being self-pay or doubled up in a hotel or motel (19%).
• Forty-seven percent of heads of household reported having no income.

FAMILY OPTIONS STUDY

The Family Options Study was a multi-site study that used random assignment to assess the impact of housing and services for 2,282 families experiencing homelessness. Specifically, the study examined the impact of four interventions: subsidy only (permanent Housing Choice Voucher with no supportive services), transitional housing with onsite supportive services for up to 24 months, rapid rehousing (subsidy up to 18 months with limited supportive services), and usual care (housing and services families accessed without a specific referral). Study findings suggest that compared to usual care, access to long-term subsidies (subsidy only) was associated with decreased homelessness, intimate partner violence, school moves for children, and food insecurity, increased housing stability, and also improved physical, mental, and social well-being for children and adults. The researchers highlight that the success of the subsidy only intervention indicates that for most families, homelessness is the result of economic challenges (poverty, lack of affordable housing) that long-term subsidies can address.