1 In 50 Children Experience Homelessness

Report: Epidemic Will Worsen As Recession Deepens And Forces More Job Losses And Foreclosures

(AP)  One of every 50 American children experiences homelessness, according to a new report that says most states have inadequate plans to address the worsening and often-overlooked problem.

The report being released Tuesday by the National Center on Family Homelessness gives Connecticut the best ranking. Texas is at the bottom.

"These kids are the innocent victims, yet it seems somehow or other they get left out," said the center's president, Dr. Ellen Bassuk. "Why are they America's outcasts?"

The report analyzes data from 2005-2006. It estimates that 1.5 million children experienced homelessness at least once that year, and says the problem is surely worse now because of the foreclosures and job losses of the deepening recession.

"If we could freeze-frame it now, it would be bad enough," said Democratic Sen. Robert Casey of Pennsylvania, who wrote a foreward to the report. "By end of this year, it will be that much worse."

The report's overall state rankings reflect performance in four areas: child homelessness per capita, child well-being, risk for child homelessness, and state policy and planning.

The top five states were Connecticut, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Rhode Island and North Dakota. At the bottom were Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, New Mexico and Louisiana.

Reflecting the disarray caused by Hurricane Katrina, the report said Louisiana had the most homeless children per capita in 2006, followed by Texas and California.

However, Bassuk - a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School - said many states fell short in regard to policy and planning. Only six were praised for "extensive" planning to curb child homelessness. Twenty-four states received an "inadequate" grade.

Ken Martin, executive director of the Texas Homeless Network, said the large number of homeless children in Texas was predictable.

"It's not surprising when you don't put money into human services that you have issues come up," said Martin, who expressed hope that improvements are forthcoming.

The Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless is fine-tuning a plan for curbing homelessness. Lack of such a plan earned the state an "inadequate" rating in the report.

Michael Gerber, executive director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and chairman of the interagency council, said officials are assessing how to use $41 million in federal stimulus money Texas expects to receive for homeless programs.

In Arkansas, relatively few homeless shelters cater to families or single fathers, so it took a while for Vaughn Summerville to find Our House Shelter in Little Rock. Because it has separate housing for families, Summerville can stay with his two daughters, who attend an after-school program at the shelter while he works at a museum.

"It was horrible at first, but it's getting better," said Tiffany Summerville, 13. "I guess I'm still reacting, because we've never been in a shelter before."

Many homeless families miss out on such support, foregoing shelters because they fear having their children taken from them, said Sandra Wilson of the Arkansas Homeless Coalition.

Shelters in Arkansas are funded mostly through private donations, along with some federal money, said Julie Munsell of the state Department of Health and Human Services. There's no state funding, and backers of a bill to create a housing trust fund said they are not sure where the money would come from.

In Georgia, one challenge is serving homeless youth who are on their own.

"We need to make it safe for kids to ask for help," said Becca Orchard of StandUp for Kids in Atlanta. "The focus is on the homeless adults because we can see them, and they're a nuisance. We can't see the kids, so we don't think they're there."

New York was ranked 38th, worst of any northeastern state. According to New York City's Coalition for the Homeless, the number of families in municipal shelters reached a record high at the end of November - 9,720 families, the most since the city began reporting such data 25 years ago.

Among the families in shelters now are Galina and Mark Turner, and their 18-month-old son, Nareem. They were evicted two weeks ago from their apartment, unable to keep up with the rent.

"It's decent," Galina said of their city-run shelter. "The worst part is it feels like jail."

Mark, 27, is jobless, and thus able to take care of Nareem while Galina works as a security guard.

"We're trying to hold our heads up and be optimistic," Galina said.

The report said homeless children are far more likely than other children to experience hunger, suffer chronic health problems, repeat a grade in school and drop out of high school.

It stressed the long-term damage that can result from disruptions to friendships, health care and family routines.

"These factors combine to create a life-altering experience that inflicts profound and lasting scars," the report said.

It offered 19 recommendations for government action, including beefed-up federal spending on low-income housing, assistance to struggling renters and homeowners, and investment in child care for homeless children. It urged states to place homeless families directly into permanent housing rather than into motels.

Ending homelessness for all U.S. children within a decade is possible, despite the recession, said the report, which Bassuk's center issued to launch a campaign pursuing that goal.

"If we fail to act," the report said, "the consequences will play out for years to come as a generation of lost children grow to adulthood."

[actornaught]

Posted by mecanik-2009, two posts in a row that show how far a creep will go to excuse himself for being one miserable guy...

[mecanik-2009]

We sometimes forget that some people prefer homelessness. It doesn't bog you down with property taxes and the lack of freedom to travel and find people to feel sorry for you. We tend to think that if your homeless you must be poor. Thats not always the case. Some are very well off financially but choose to live that way.

[ianlou]

...Or for immigration purposes.
Posted by mecanik-2009

Or maybe homeless children are less likely to freeze to death if they migrate to southern states?

[mecanik-2009]

The top five states were Connecticut, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Rhode Island and North Dakota. At the bottom were Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, New Mexico and Louisiana.

Do you see a pattern here. Northern States versus Southern states. Mostly White in the Northern states and Mostly Black or Hispanic in the Southern States. Could it be they're cranking out kids without any visable means of support. Or for immigration purposes.

[ianlou]

What is harder to enforce, welfare cheats or corporate-level corruption? (think "madoff"...)
Posted by actornaught at 9:46 AM : Mar 10, 2009
+ report abuse + permalink


*************************************

welfare cheats is more widespead..they even have their own ideology..LIBERALISM
Posted by GODSnLIBERALS

Question:
How many welfare cheats does it take to rip off $50 Billion dollars like Madoff did?

If one out of every one hundred American citizens were welfare cheats, each of the three million cheats would have to rip off $16,666 bucks.

Yeah, ?welfare cheats is more widespread?,


Yeah, Yeah that?s it.............

[ianlou]

Perhaps the Call Center Employees of Bangladesh can start a "Save the American Children" Organization to address this Tragedy.

[GODSnLIBERALS]

this has the same formula as the octomom...

[GODSnLIBERALS]

What is harder to enforce, welfare cheats or corporate-level corruption? (think "madoff"...)
Posted by actornaught at 9:46 AM : Mar 10, 2009
+ report abuse + permalink


*************************************

welfare cheats is more widespead..they even have thier own ideology..LIBERALISM

[GODSnLIBERALS]

let me guess...homelessness and poverty..just like terrorism DID NOT EXIST before Bush..

humm and let me guess..if i vote for obama it will all disappear..

oh wait......humm

[GODSnLIBERALS]

oh yeah...its someone else's fault..
Posted by GODSnLIBERALS at 7:49 AM : Mar 10, 2009

You mean aside from Bush?
Posted by nancy_naive at 9:45 AM : Mar 10, 2009

+ report abuse + permalink

******************

well I hope you feel better knowing that 'blaming others your FAILURES' is not going to make things ANY BETTER..but pretty much assure you are nailed to same patethic situation till the day you die.

[actornaught]

The ultimate Family Value is a good job. Now if we can stop the Neocon War on the Middle Class...

[biger-e]

Oooh, you're a 'pub. That explains evading my question in favor of an irrelevant dishonest attack.

bye bye...
Posted by actornaught

wow. i addressed your question. Attack? huh? and Madoff wasn't appointed to anything by a republican. I am starting to wonder how old you are.

[scb1111_1]

George H W Bush started GLOBALIZATION in visiting China in 1990. Bill Clinton signed NAFTA n 1993 and we lost over 6 million US jobs! Clinton then gave "most-favored" nation status for China and India in 1998 and we lost another 10 million US jobs! Then George W Bush signed CAFTA in 2003 and we lost over 2 million US Jobs! Now this LOSER of a President Barack Obama is ready to sign 5 more "free-trade" agreements within the first 100 days, with possibly the lost of another 10 million US jobs?

[scb1111_1]

GLOBALIZATION has ruin the economy but outsourcing our manufacturing, production and assembly jobs over sea to "low-wage" countries in the Asain Pacific markets! Starting with George H W Bush, then Bill Clinton and lastly by George W Bush! And now we have a LOSER of a President Obama who wants to be a "free-trader" too! Crazy, nuts?

[actornaught]

Posted by biger-e at 9:50 AM : Mar 10, 2009

Oooh, you're a 'pub. That explains evading my question in favor of an irrelevant dishonest attack.

bye bye...

[biger-e]

Sounds like you need a new line of work.
Posted by actornaught

Not at all. Love my job. help a lot of people with serious disabilities. make an honest wage and live well. for you to assume that because i am a republican i am infavor of corporate-level corruption would be like me assuming you are in favor of tax cheats since P BO seems to be appointing a lot of them lately.

[actornaught]

,,,i have worked in the human services system for years and trust me there are far too many people abusing the system...
Posted by biger-e at 9:36 AM : Mar 10, 2009

Sounds like you need a new line of work.

What is harder to enforce, welfare cheats or corporate-level corruption? (think "madoff"...)

[biger-e]

Posted by actornaught

is that why it is a know fact that republicans historically give more to charity? i have worked in the human services system for years and trust me there are far too many people abusing the system. i do believe in a deserving and undeserving poor. i have no problem with helping those who need it but it should not be some kind of "career choice". So by the way, how many of these kids who need it have you taken into you home? and i am well aware of who i am doing it for.

[actornaught]

...she is a victim of some kind.
Posted by biger-e at 7:59 AM : Mar 10, 2009

Even you have you have very generously helped 2 children, i assume this phrase is sarcasm. Pardon me if i'm wrong there. But it IS about the kids, and not the adults.

SO WHAT if some underserving people get the benefit of some kind of handout. It'll happen. Enforce what standards you can, but help those that need it.

This is the difference between the "left" and the "right". The neocons would sacrifice some or all of the innocent and deserving just to make sure nobody at the bottom gets any of their money, even though it's fine to shovel money by the ton to corporations. Liberals would help many more at the bottom, and sacrifice the wealthy's entitlements (of course, "sacrifice" is being sarcastic).

What is harder to enforce, welfare cheats or corporate-level corruption? (think "madoff"...)

[omega39-2009]

The tent city in my town has 1200 people living in it, some women with children.