Homeless Outreach Projects for Single Parent Families: What Happens to the Children?

This article provides an overview of the changing nature of family homelessness in the US and Canada, the current literature on homeless families and their children, and reports on a Canadian example of community-based research on family homelessness. This research shows that poverty, family violence, a history of abuse and problems with mental health and substance misuse are the dominant factors that contribute to family homelessness. The research also shows that the children of homeless families face grave risks, and makes explicit the need for immediate policy and practice initiatives to end family homelessness.