Creating Policies to End Childhood Homelessness Marys Story Mary - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Creating Policies to End Childhood Homelessness

Mary’s Story

• Mary has four children
• The father of the children left the household six months ago
• Mary has a job but was unable to sustain the current housing
• Eviction proceedings
• Sheriff locked the doors
• Mary has her oldest son with her and he is obviously affected

What does it look like?

• When we think of the homeless population a specific picture

comes to mind and it generally does not include children

• Many diverse stories of homelessness with many different

family structures including children

• Single parent with children
• Two parent households
• Grandparent(s) with custody of grandchildren
• Teenagers on their own – 20 – 40% homeless youth identify

as LGBTQ1

How do we create positive change to social policy?

• If we are going to help the children we must help their

parents and guardians

• Knowing current policies
• Education on current issues in homelessness
• Scarcity of affordable housing
• Scarcity of jobs providing a living wage
• Collaborative efforts between individuals, organizations and

government agencies

Statistics

• Division of State Government accountability
• 2442 children under age of eighteen were homeless at some

time in 2015

• Of those children, 253 were individually homeless without a

parent or guardian

• Monroe County Schools report
• A different category of homelessness
• Doubled up or “couch surfing”
• 2197 students during the 2014-2015 school year 2

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

• A child is guaranteed a public education regardless of

homeless situation

• Prevents a child from having to change schools multiple times

during a homeless situation

• Bussed to school district of last permanent residency
• Will not be denied entry into new school district without

appropriate paperwork if they do have to change schools

• HUD does not consider being doubled up a homeless

situation - not eligible for funds to help them out of the situation 3

Doubling Up Review

• Not counted in homeless counts
• Counted by schools as a homeless category
• Protected educationally
• No funding to help permanently house
• Serious risk for potential abusive environment
• Can be told to leave at a moments notice

A Basic Review of State Policy and Process

• Family goes to a shelter or Department of Social Services
• Determined homeless
• Sent to a shelter, transitional housing or a motel
• If parents are sanctioned by DSS
• Must house below 32 degrees per executive order
• Must house parent of child if they have custody of child

The Five Whys

• Six Sigma concept to help determine root cause of problems4
• I use when interviewing during intake process
• Consists of five “why” questions
• Cannot help someone out of their situation if we do not

know why they are there

• Cannot create new policy if we do not know the root cause
• f the many cases of situational poverty

Mary’s Five “Whys”

• Mary, why are you homeless?
• I cannot afford my rent
• Why can’t you afford your rent?
• My husband left us. I have no idea where he is at. My job does not

support the house and family.

• Mary, I know this is personal but why did your husband leave?
• He developed a drug and alcohol addiction. He chose that over us.
• Why did he turn to drugs and alcohol? Was it always a problem?
• No, it was not always a problem. He couldn’t handle the grief

anymore.

Mary’s Five Whys

• Why was he grieving?
• Our son, the identical twin of my 11 year old passed away last

year.

• Mary and her husband did not receive counseling
• Now there is more insight to the emotions of the eleven year
• ld son
• Family was immediately set up with counseling and other

services in addition to housing assistance

Making Change Happen

• Finding the root cause of homelessness is the beginning of

creating change in policy

• There is no one single root cause
• Change cannot occur by fixing a symptom
• Change must occur at the root cause of homelessness to

produce any lasting results

• Change occurs at an individual, organizational and

governmental agency level

As Individuals

• Servant or Savior?
• Servant helps marginalized people find solutions to complex

problems

• “Savior” complex is a god-like mentality of being better, knowing

more and coming up with answers to problems no one else can answer

• “Savior” complex is damaging to collaborative efforts of many 5
• Being informed about the community
• Geographically-where are the organizations
• Socially-what these organizations do
• Politically-attend a city council meeting
• Finding your voice and knowing its power

As an Organization

• An organization cannot change policy unless they get

involved politically

• Will not lose nonprofit status over raising issues
• Make sure your advocacy aligns with the mission of the
• rganization
• Do not fear making the voices of the served communities

heard on all levels

• Welcome and invite people who are in a homeless situation

to the conversation

As a Community

• Working together as individuals, organizations and

government agencies

• Collaborative effort exponentially more effective
• The people making policy in the local and state government

levels may not know what the true issue is until they hear the collective voice

• Homelessness is hidden
• Homelessness is invisible

In Review

• There are homeless families walking around and interacting

with community members in Rochester

• Know the state and local policies and procedures concerning

homeless families in order to give better direction

• Getting to the root cause of situational poverty is important
• Do not stop at one or two “why” questions
• Five is the magic number
• You are a servant not a savior
• The individual voice is important and powerful

In Review

• The voice of the homeless population is equally as
• important. Listen clearly
• Organizations should not be afraid to get political or

encourage members to do so in support of their mission

• The government doe not know the problems with a policy or

the negative impact unless we tell them

• Collectively working together in community produces the

best and longest lasting results

Bibliography

1 N. Ray, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth: An Epidemic of Homelessness. (Washington

DC: National Coalition for the Homeless, 2006).

2 Thomas P. DiNapoli, Office of the State Comptroller, Homeless Shelters and Homelessness in New

York State, (Division of State Government Accountability, 2016) 47-53.

3 United States Department of Education, Homeless Education, 2004,

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg116.html accessed April 10, 2017.

4 iSixSigma, Determining the Root Cause: 5 Whys, 2017, https://www.isixsigma.com/tools-

templates/cause-effect/determine-root-cause-5-whys/, accessed April 10, 2017.

5 Sarah S. Benton, Psychology Today, “The Savior Complex: Why Good Intentions May have

Negative Outcomes,” February 6, 2017, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-high-functioning- alcoholic/201702/the-savior-complex, accessed April 10, 2017.