The Problem of Family Homelessness

According to the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness (ICPH), homeless families with children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.

Although accurate local statistics for the “hidden homeless” are very hard to obtain, there are indicators that this population is growing substantially in Colorado Springs.  In 2010, Pikes Peak United Way’s 211 line received calls from 482 homeless families seeking assistance, an 87% increase from 2009! 

Partners In Housing (PIH) has seen a tremendous increase in applications over the last several years.  We are now operating at unprecedented levels to meet local needs, serving 68% more families than we did five years ago.  In FY10/11 we served 133 families, the highest number in PIH history, and we anticipate similar demand this year. 

The reasons for family homelessness are often different from the reasons behind single homelessness.  The 2007 El Paso County Point In Time Survey report stated that “respondents in households with children were more than twice as likely as those in households without children to say that high housing costs, high utility costs, or eviction or foreclosure are reasons for their current spell of homelessness”.  Additionally, households with children are more than twice as likely as singles to become homeless due to family breakup or domestic abuse. 

For more information on homelessness, please visit the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, or the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Poverty in inextricably connected to homelessness, especially for families.  To learn more about poverty in our local area and a new national initiative to reduce poverty, visit Half in Ten.