Residents

traumatizing

When families become homeless, the experience itself is traumatizing, especially for children. Children in families experiencing homelessness have high rates of acute and chronic health problems, and the majority of them have been exposed to violence.

School age children experiencing homelessness are more likely than their counterparts in the general population to experience anxiety, depression, withdrawal, and manifestations of aggressive behavior. Repeated school mobility leads to decreased academic achievement, negatively impacting both the child’s and the school’s overall performance. If unaddressed, there is evidence that childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences can have lasting impacts on health.

Other research shows that the impact of homelessness diminishes over time as families are re-housed. Stable housing can provide a platform for addressing the trauma associated with the experience of homelessness, especially for children. By shortening homeless episodes through rapid connection to permanent housing or by preventing exposure to homelessness in the first place, the negative impact of homelessness on children’s health and well-being can be mitigated.