Homeless Families in San Diego

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, more than 580,000 persons in America were homeless as of January 2020. California has the most homeless residents with 161,548. (NPR, 2021)

The number of people seeking help this year, especially single mothers, increased dramatically, according to shelter officials in 15 states. Waitlists have occasionally increased by two or three times in a short period. ( National Alliance to End Homelessness)

We're in a really insecure situation right now since the cost of living is increasing so quickly due to the price of gas, food, and rent that more people are losing their ability to afford a place to live. Homelessness has historically affected those who are going through difficult circumstances due to a job loss, are facing unanticipated medical costs, or are managing chronic health problems. Shelters are saying that this time around, they are seeing an increase in families that are still able to maintain secure, even well-paying employment but are having trouble finding a place to live. (Bhattarai and Siegel, 2022)

About 30% of homeless people are adults and kids living in households. For the first time since 2010, families were still experiencing homelessness in 2020. An estimated 55,739 family households, or 171,575 persons in families, were counted as homeless one night in January 2020. There were about 16,667 families residing in vehicles, on public streets, or in other unsuitable locations.(National Alliance to End Homelessness)

Families suffering homelessness increased by 56% from 2020 according to the Point-In-Time census. There are probably many families in our neighborhoods that are struggling financially or experiencing homelessness as a result of the pandemic.(DeVries, 2022)

Families who are experiencing homelessness are similar to other low-income households. With incomes that fall well short of what is necessary to pay for housing, both may struggle. In fact, families frequently turn to homeless service groups for help as a result of some form of shock to this precarious situation, such as a loss of employment or work hours, dispute with the relatives they are living with, an unforeseen expense, or domestic abuse. Families with homeless members are typically young, have young children, and are led by a single mother with limited education (National Alliance to End Homelessness)

Many San Diego residents and families , who are homeless, spend the night in their car as a result of the city's housing issue. Although it has been forbidden to live in a car in the city for a while, this may soon change. Now, individuals can sleep in safe nighttime parking lots. (City News Service, 2022)

Jim Vargas, is the president and chief executive officer of Father Joe's Villages, which is one of San Diego's top providers of aid for the homeless. Vargas stated that, ”Issues could become worse as the cost of living rises.” Demand for affordable homes and all-inclusive services in San Diego has never been higher. Rapid inflation, rising rent, and the high cost of housing have all contributed to the County of San Diego's escalating homelessness issue. (City News Service, 2022)

Children who experience homelessness often have significant effects on their development, schooling, health, and sense of safety. Fortunately, research has found that children are remarkably resilient and that the differences between low-income children who were homeless and those who were not usually disappear in the years after a homeless episode. However, research has indicated that homeless children have more emotional and behavioral problems than children from low-income households. Homeless children also have a higher likelihood of experiencing more serious health issues, and are more likely to experience family separations. They are also more likely to move around more in school, repeat a grade, be expelled or drop out, and perform worse academically. (National Alliance to End Homelessness)

Some promise can be found in the "community school" strategy, which many San Diego area schools can swiftly embrace to help more students achieve academic achievement.

A community school, according to the American Federation of Teachers, is an institution of higher learning that successfully combines student support, extracurricular activities, a progressive curriculum, involvement of caregivers, and social practices that are meant to promote resilience and healing in students who have experienced a variety of life traumas, such as poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, or drug abuse at home. (DeVries, 2022)

In San Diego, The Monarch School has been serving the community as a local school for many years. The majority of homeless kids at Monarch arrive with a sense of being invisible. In addition to several problems with their physical, mental, and emotional well-being as a result of their extremely challenging circumstances, they are bearing a great burden of home instability.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 epidemic, educational institutions across the state have made an effort to offer counseling and other support services to children whose families were facing severe challenges. They are aware of how crucial it is to behave in this way because resources are frequently scarce in public schools and social support for pupils at school plays a vital part in helping them develop the resilience they need to overcome these challenges.

The community school approach is effective. According to research by The Learning Policy Institute, when families of students have access to stabilizing services through their school, such as food support, housing aid, financial literacy training, and mental health counseling, both their academic performance and emotional well-being improve. (DeVries, 2022)

The "community school" model offers some hope because it can be quickly implemented by numerous schools in the San Diego area to support the academic success of more kids.

We need to fight for the expansion of this idea in San Diego schools, and that fight starts with our school administrators and teachers. (DeVries, 2022)

References:

Bhattarai, A. Siegel, R. 2022. Inflation is Making Homelessness Worse. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/07/03/inflation-homeless-rent-housing/

Homelessness in San Diego County Spikes at Least 10% Since 2020, Annual Count Finds. City News Service. 2022

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/homelessness-in-san-diego-county-spikes-at-least-10-s ince-2020-annual-count-finds/

DeVries, Afira. 2022. San Diego Kids and Families Are Suffering, But New Community Schools Can Help. Times of San Diego. https://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2022/08/10/san-diego-kids-and-families-are-su ffering-but-new-community-schools-can-help/

HUD: Growth of Homelessness During 2020 Was Devastating, Even Before The Pandemic. 2021. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/03/18/978244891/hud-growth-of-homelessness-during-2020-was-deva stating-even-before-the-pandemic

National Alliance to End Homelessness.

https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/who-experiences-homelessness/children-a nd-families/