{"id":10554,"date":"2019-02-24T09:46:19","date_gmt":"2019-02-24T14:46:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=10554"},"modified":"2019-02-26T17:32:52","modified_gmt":"2019-02-26T22:32:52","slug":"family-homelessness-disrupts-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/family-homelessness-disrupts-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Family Homelessness Disrupts Education"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In many ways Carmen is just like any other 16-year-old girl: friendly and outgoing, she loves dancing and is particularly talented as a creative artist. Despite her talents though, Carmen is facing a much steeper hill to climb when it comes to attaining her education and maintaining pace with her peers.<\/p>\n

For the last two years Carmen\u2019s family has been homeless.<\/p>\n

During this time, her family has moved across state lines and from town to town as her parents have struggled to secure stable jobs. Most of the time her family has been living out of their car.<\/p>\n

All young students struggle in their own ways but few have had to face the challenges that have become a daily reality of Carmen\u2019s life. While many of her former classmates have begun to visit local colleges and universities, Carmen has yet to graduate the 8th grade.<\/p>\n

She is falling behind in her studies and is beginning to lose hope.<\/p>\n

Across the United States, there are many young students like Carmen.<\/p>\n

And while many of their teachers and classmates may have no idea what they are facing, they are a part of our community and they need our help.<\/p>\n

Homelessness Does not Discriminate<\/h4>\n

Homelessness is a social problem impacting communities across the United States. Families with children, single adults, teenagers and older individuals of all races struggle with the devastating effects of homelessness.<\/p>\n

The fact is: homelessness does not discriminate. It impacts all kinds of individuals and families who have fallen on hard times. The primary cause of homelessness in the United States is the lack of affordable housing.<\/p>\n

Low-income families struggle to earn enough money to attain the safety and security that they need to be able to rent or own their own homes.<\/p>\n

According to Pew Research<\/a>, while American paychecks have increased over the last 40 years, their purchasing power has barely budged.<\/p>\n

In recent years, the American economy has taken off. The promise of prosperity has become more certain for the middle and upper class. At the same time, it has placed a tremendous strain on the rental market. This has left many lower income families to find themselves marginally housed or homeless.<\/p>\n

Families are the fastest growing demographic of homeless in the United States. We must reverse this trend.<\/p>\n

Family Homelessness is a Bigger Problem than Many Realize<\/h4>\n

Did you know that families account for about 50% of the national homeless population<\/p>\n

According to the Department of Education<\/a>, as many as 1,355,821 children and youth were identified as homeless and enrolled in public schools during the 2016-17 school year. During this time, these young people stayed in homeless shelters (14%), motels (6%), unsheltered (4%) and temporarily with relatives or friends (76%).<\/p>\n

Family homelessness places children and young adults like Carmen into precarious situations. Instead of having comfortable and quiet places to study and complete homework, homeless and marginally housed youth are forced to complete assignments in crowded and potentially dangerous areas.<\/p>\n

Homeless and marginally housed youth have:<\/p>\n