Homelessness and its Effects on Children
As part of its body of work surrounding supportive housing, Family Housing Fund compiled research on the effects of homelessness on children’s physical and psychological health. Homeless children are significantly more likely to suffer from developmental delays, stunted growth, anxiety, depression, and conditions such as asthma and anemia. Furthermore, homeless children tend to struggle to succeed in school because housing instability leads to frequent changes in schools and higher levels of stress and other mental health problems.
This report explores these health challenges in depth and proposes intervention strategies to prevent and even reverse negative health outcomes. Among these strategies are: long-term supportive housing, parenting education and support programming, after-school tutoring programs, and nutritional support programs.
Interested in learning more about addressing homelessness through supportive housing? In the 1990s, Family Housing Fund helped spur a supportive housing movement in the Twin Cities and published:
