85% of brain’s core structure is developed from birth to age 5, and because of this, it’s important to intervene early and provide mental health services, transitional services and early education childcare.One-third of homeless children have been forced to skip a meal.Homeless children are at a higher risk for: physical and mental health issues, hunger and poor educational outcomes.Wraparound services are needed to be effective in preventing and ending family homelessness. While housing is the foundation for a stable community and life, housing alone is not sufficient to end homelessness.The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act can allow tenants to remain in their homes longer and more needs to be done to publicize this law.Oftentimes, it costs less to offer families housing vouchers (so that families can live closer to schools) than provide transportation to school.There was a 20% increase in family homelessness between 20.The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty takes a human rights perspective to housing, meaning that housing is a basic right.The Opening Doors Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness has a goal to end youth and family homelessness by 2020 by focusing on the following services: access to affordable housing, jobs, mainstream services, and collaboration between agencies.For the 2009-2010 school year, there were 1 MILLION homeless youth (and again this number is probably low because some states do not report this data).More than 34% of the homeless population are children (and this statistic is likely a low estimate because of under-reporting).Here’s a hodgepodge of my notes/thoughts/questions from the briefing:
Amy gave us a great perspective in terms of the services she received while homeless and where she saw room for improvement. Her family experienced homelessness for almost 2 and a half years after losing their business. She spoke about her family’s hardship after losing their small business after 9/11. In particular, I was moved by Amy Grassette’s story. The amount of information given at the briefing was a bit overwhelming but also alarming, inspiring and motivating. In addition to the program’s panelists, Assistant Secretary of Community Planning and Development for HUD, Mercedes Marquez, gave the opening remarks. Amy Grassette, Consumer Advisory Board Member, The National Center for Family Homelessness.Sarah Bolton, Legislative Assistant, Office of Senator Patty Murray.Asa Fanelli, President, Horizons for Homeless Children.Jeremy Rosen, Policy Director, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty.Christina Murphy, Director of Campaign to End Child Homelessness, The National Center on Family Homelessness.
The briefing featured the following panelists: November is National Homelessness Awareness Month and to kick it off, the National Center for Family Homelessness hosted a policy briefing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) here in D.C.
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